Though My Eyes Could See
by Love Well Spent
Summary: Her heart had never pounded so much, had never increased its rate so rapidly in a single moment as their lips collided, bursting forth a series of strange, gratifying sensations that sent Bella's whole entire body kindling at his touch. No, she wasn't kindling, Bella realized. She had already ignited. Bella/Jasper, AH. Revised.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything Twilight. All credit goes to Stephanie Meyer.

**Summary:** A grief-stricken Bella flees Forks to live with her father in Wyoming after her mother's tragic death and to escape from the betrayal of her step-father. In this beautiful, strange new environment Bella is given the chance for a better, happier life. But is she strong enough to overcome what she lost? And will she be able to resist the passion of a ruggedly handsome cowboy who could be the key to helping her heal? Follow Bella through her journey in her search for strength and with it, the beginnings of a whole new life.

**A/N: For all my new readers who aren't aware, this is a revised version of Though My Eyes Could See, one of my very first fic's I wrote for the Twilight fandom. I hope you enjoy it! And as for the readers who have stuck with me since the very beginning, I hope you enjoy re-reading Bella and Jasper's little journey...and if you haven't yet, please check out my profile, it might answer some of your questions. As always, thanks for reading!  
**

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_"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."_

**Henry Ellis**

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Prologue

"Mom?" Bella whispered with a channel of tears trickling down her cheeks, "please, don't…don't leave me."

Clinging to her mother's life with the last of her strength, Bella laid her head on Renee's chest and closed her eyes, choking back an agonized sob.

"You said you would always be there for me. You said you would _fight_. I thought you were strong enough…you _are _strong enough! Please, don't leave me like this."

A faint sigh was whispered in her ear and with a start Bella lifted her head to stare down at her mother's frail, pale face. Renee's eyes were open now; a light shade of blue flickering listlessly in the dim light of the hospital room.

Hanging on to the ends of hope, Bella squeezed her mother's hand, smiled faintly, and whispered softly, "Mom?"

"Bella…" Renee blinked at her daughter lovingly, unfortunately it being the only gesture she could make. Bella had to lower her head in able to hear the words uttered from her mother's mouth, and even then it was a weaker attempt than before.

"I love you…stay strong."

Bella's eyes widened and as she turned her head to gaze into her mother's eyes never did she imagine it would be the last time. Her dark, chocolate brown eyes filled with fresh new tears as she watched Renee take her last breath of life and in that moment a chasm of grief rose inside her, causing her to cry out in anguish.

Pushing away from the bed, Bella pressed her back against the wall and stared down at Renee's lifeless body, her weak lips moving slowly to form the words, "You promised me you would fight. You _promised._" With fresh tears streaming down her face, Bella crossed her arms and sucked in a deep, shaky breath.

_How can I stay strong now that you're gone? _

Closing her eyes, Bella whipped around and began pounding the wall angrily with her fists.

_How could you leave me? How?! This isn't how it was supposed to go! Damn you! Damn cancer!_

After a few moments Bella stopped, her hands sliding against the wall as she started to sob.

"Bella?"

With a gasp, Bella whirled around and stared across the room to meet the penetrating gaze of her step-father, Phil. He was looking at her solemnly, carrying a folded up piece of paper in his hands.

She shot him a glare and whispered brokenly, "She's dead…Renee's dead."

"I know," Phil murmured softly, taking a step forward, "I'm so sorry."

"No," Bella snapped, "you're not."

His eyes widened slightly, before clouding over with pain. "And why do you say that, Bella?"

Bella shook her head, wondering why he bothered asking her when he clearly already knew the answer. He _wanted _her to say it out loud, as if it wasn't already horrible enough!

"You're despicable," Bella growled angrily, striding towards him until they were face-to-face. Sticking her chin up, she stared at him and declared fiercely, "You know exactly what you've done you _sick, lying bastard! _If you had truly loved her all along she would've been strong enough to fight it!"

"Fight what?" Phil said quietly, "The sickness? Bella, those kinds of things can't be controlled. It was bound to hap-"

"No, it _wasn't!_" Bella exclaimed, glaring at him with a strong, deeply fueled hatred. "If you wouldn't have done it, she would have been happier. She would've _fought harder. _You pathetic, ignorant _man! _Do you even know what you _did_?" Before he had the chance to answer, she sucked in a short breath and cried, "You _killed _her!"

Phil's worn out and troubled face transformed into a blank mask of shock. Following that was a wave of outrage, and then lastly an expression so filled with sadness Bella had no choice but to glance away.

"I will never forgive you," she whispered firmly, clenching her hands tightly into fists. "You may have had a part in Renee's life, but you will _never _stand a chance in mine."

And with that said, Bella grabbed her jacket and keys off the chair beside the bed and strode past Phil, swiftly fleeing the room. She couldn't stop the sobs as they escaped her lips, making it difficult for her to breathe. Flinging open the door to one of the stairways, she took each step one at a time to avoid falling and possibly cracking her skull. All she wanted was to get the hell out of there.

By the time she was out of the hospital she headed towards her car in the parking lot, nearly running straight into the path of an oncoming car. It swerved, the screech of tires against the pavement resounding loudly in the air, but she didn't stop. Her heart was pounding heavily inside her chest and the slippery tears that cascaded down her face blinded her vision, leaving a drop of agony with each step she took.

A million thoughts flooded her mind, each one seeming to detect a place in every beating of her heart. After what felt like days, she finally managed to find her old red pick-up truck. With a shaky sigh of relief Bella unlocked the door and slipped inside, immediately resting her head against the back of the seat.

Finally…a place in which she could just _let go_.

Wrapping her trembling hands around the steering wheel, Bella closed her tear-filled eyes and let out several short, heart-broken sobs.

_She's gone…actually gone. _And with this in mind her whole body convulsed with grief and a single, dreadful thought floated to the surface.

_How will I ever be the same again?_

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**A/N: Expect another update next week. Since the fic is already completed, there is only the matter of editing (no alterations to the plot). I always appreciate reviews, so feel free to leave me your thoughts. Lastly, I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Years! May 2013 bring you love, health and happiness. :)**_  
_


	2. Don't Call Me Cowgirl

"_The trouble, it might drag you down; if you get lost you can always be found."_

**- Song "Home" by Phillip Phillips  
**

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Chapter One

Cody, Wyoming was now officially the coldest freaking place on earth.

Bella concluded this rather quickly the moment she took a step out of her cab, the blast of wind that hit her nearly freezing her right where she stood.

"_Holy-"_

With a fierce gasp she plunged right back into the toasty warm confinement of the vehicle, slamming the door shut with a solid _bang. _Teeth chattering wildly, Bella wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees, her whole body shivering violently in a vain attempt to stay warm. The cab driver turned his head and stared at her, the reason as to why he was wearing mittens on both hands finally dawning on her.

"I-is it a-always t-this c-c-cold?" Bella stuttered, blinking in despair as her eyes began to water, the drops running down her cheeks and neck. She had never been so cold in all her life. Ridiculous!

"Only during the winter, ma'am. Here in Cody we normally have about three hundred days of sunshine every year. During January, that's when it gets real chilly the most. It's the wind that gets ya. I recommend wearing a scarf from now on, miss, if you don't mind me say'in," he drawled, blinking sympathetically at her in such a way that made her feel like she was a puppy being consoled.

"It's only N-November," Bella stated in horror, grimacing at the sound of the wind as it howled outside her window. How on earth would she ever be able to go out there again? What had she been thinking, moving to Wyoming to live with her father? Was she insane?

Clearly, if she thought she could live _here _until she turned eighteen, the time of age when she would become a legal adult and move somewhere with a _bit _more reasonable temperatures for the living.

She had recently turned seventeen two months ago. That meant she had to stay here for _one whole year_, which had been her choice, don't forget. But had it been the right one?

_Of course, _she reassured herself, continuing to shudder. There was no way she would have stayed with her step-father, Phil, after his cruel betrayal. And Charlie, her _real _father, had wanted his daughter to stay with him since she was fifteen, so personally this was for the best.

And she was going to stick to her decision, no matter what. If she had to endure several months of bone-chilling weather, so be it. Even if that meant losing her toes to hypothermia, which she had a feeling was happening right this very second.

"Er – Miss Swan?"

Quickly snapping out of her thoughts, Bella once more focused her attention on the cab driver who was patiently waiting for her to exit the vehicle. She groaned softly and glanced out the window with dread. Saying a silent farewell to her toes, Bella opened the door and ran straight to the trunk, flinging it open in one swift movement before grabbing her suitcases one by one and throwing them onto the ground.

She slammed the trunk back down, waved good-bye to the cab, and then grabbed both of her suitcases with each hand, praying her fingers wouldn't fall off by the time she made it inside. However, before she had taken at least _one_ step towards the house Charlie appeared out of nowhere with a huge grin stretched across his face.

"Well, there you are Bella! We were expectin' you about two hours ago."

Charlie, never particularly being one to give welcoming hugs, stood awkwardly in front of his daughter for a moment before deciding to grab a hold of one of her suitcases.

Bella lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "W-we?" she managed to muster between violent shudders, glancing longingly towards the one-story house that sat quite literally in the middle of nowhere. Back behind it she could see the outline of the mountains that towered high in the distance, and just the sight of them took her breath away.

"Me and the boys – er, the cowhands," he clarified after seeing the look of confusion on her face turn into an expression of vivid bewilderment. "I'll introduce you to them once you're all settled in."

Nodding, Bella followed him quickly towards the house, which she could tell now was all white, with a nice porch out front. On the porch was a couple of old charming rocking chairs, and napping on one of them was a black cat.

Bella was so immersed in her observations that she didn't heed Charlie's warning until it was too late. One moment she was striding quickly towards the porch steps and in the next her back was flat on the ground and a long, sloppy pink tongue was aggressively licking her face.

"BEAR! UP!"

Mortified, Bella stared at the huge dog as it let out a loud, sharp whine and obeyed his master's wishes. Leaping off her chest, the dog, which she figured to be a black and white malamute after noting his broad stature, backed up a couple strides and then stopped, tilting his head to stare at her with a pair of dark black, beady eyes.

"Bella! Are you all right?"

Charlie reached down to help her up, but before he had the chance she stuck out her hand and shook her head.

"I'm f-fine," she stuttered, standing up in a dizzy state before quickly regaining her composure. She turned her head to gaze once more at the huge animal, amazed by its size.

"Sorry about that," Charlie apologized with a sigh, "Bear's still young, he doesn't know anything yet. One of my cowhands, Jasper, is working with him but he hasn't showed no progress yet," he added with a soft grunt.

Bella was about to ask just who this Jasper was, but decided to keep her mouth shut. _I'll find out soon enough, _she thought, glancing back to the door.

"Oh, right, you're probably freezing, aren't ya? Well, come on in then. Just don't bother Toby. He gets real moody when you wake him from his nap," Charlie warned.

_Toby? _Bella thought, exasperated. Charlie nodded to the cat and her mouth formed a silent '_oh.'_

The moment they stepped inside, Bella let out a long sigh of relief. _Warmth! _Oh, how she loved the warmth. Precious, beloved warmth…

"Bedroom's this way," Charlie grumbled, rolling her suitcase down a small hallway to the right. Bella followed him until they both reached her bedroom, which was on the left.

Stepping inside, Bella looked around. It wasn't big, but it wasn't small, either. It was a normal size, pretty much. A queen size bed was against the wall on the left and her dresser was just beside it. On the opposite wall was a desk, and the window was located straight ahead. All in all it was roomy, Bella decided.

"Hope this is okay. It's been a guest house for the last couple of years, but since it's yours now you can do anything with it you like," Charlie remarked.

Bella nodded and murmured, "It's great."

"Er, good. I'll go and uh…cook some dinner. Give you some time to unpack."

She flashed him a startled glance. "You cook?"

Charlie grinned sheepishly and then shrugged. "Well, I'm not a professional if that's what you're thinkin', but I know the basics."

Bella raised an eyebrow, trying not to look too doubtful as she replied, "Um, sure."

After Charlie had slipped out into the hallway and closed the door, Bella went to work on unpacking all of her suitcases.

_One year, _she reminded herself, placing a folded shirt into one of the drawers. _Just one year, that's it. I can handle that…right?_

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After she had finished unpacking, Bella decided to go out and have a look around. This time however, she was going prepared. Taking up on her cab driver's suggestion, she wore a bright red scarf over her favorite dark blue sweater, along with an old pair of blue jeans and her brown boots. Her long brown hair was down, framing her pale face, which probably looked even more ghastly now that she lived in a place where it was twenty-freaking-one degrees out.

Inhaling a deep breath of cold, fresh mountain air, Bella headed towards the big red barn that was located not far from the ranch house. As she walked towards it she wondered if people would start calling her a "cowgirl" now.

W_hoever chooses to call me cowgirl, _she decided, _is going to receive one hard kick in the ass._

She definitely was not happy with the fact that her father had chosen Wyoming, over _all _the other places in the United States, to move to after him and Renee had separated. And now that Renee was gone…fighting the tears that had started to build up in the back of her eyes, Bella finally approached the barn. Swinging the door open, she stepped inside.

…and collided into stone.

Or, what she assumed was stone. Stumbling backwards, she was in danger of banging her head against the door when, unexpectedly, a pair of surprisingly strong, rough hands grabbed her by the waist and held her upright against the doors.

During that whole instant Bella's eyes had been closed. Now, she was afraid to open them.

But then she heard the voice. It was a deep, harmonizing voice, wrapped in a gorgeous, high country drawl. Never had she heard such a distinctive voice. And what he said, well…

"Hey there, _darlin'_."

It made her heart pound mercilessly inside her chest.

Finally her eyes fluttered open and she stared straight into a pair of liquid gold...and a face so irrevocably handsome it had to be a sin.

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**Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave me your thoughts. :)**


	3. For The Best

**A/N: So since I have a lack of muse for one of my WIP's and I can't continue HEWG until I get my flash drive back (I swear, one day my forgetfulness is going to be the end of me), I'm editing/updating this fic much faster than originally planned. Enjoy this next chapter, guys. **

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"_It's the most unhappy people who most fear change."_

**Mignon McLaughlin**

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Chapter Two

Bella stared, open-mouthed. There was no denying the fact that this boy, no, _cow_boy_, _was extremely attractive. In fact, she probably had never seen anybody so good-looking in her entire life. And where had she found him? _Wyoming, _the place she would have never gone to look.

She was completely incapable of speaking in front of him, this she knew for certain as she began losing herself in the endless depths of his stunning amber eyes. Did he expect her to say something? And if so, how could she when he was staring at her like some fascinating new species? She closed her eyes again and inhaled.

_You can do this, Bella. You've talked to guys before. They're just like you except…well, that their male. Great, now I'm thinking like a stupid moron. Focus, Bella, focus!_

"Sorry," she finally mumbled, grimacing at the weak tone of her voice, "I, um…didn't see you there."

Well of course she hadn't seen him; a freaking door had been in the way_. _Could she have sounded even more like an idiot?

Clenching her hands into fists, a common habit that occurred whenever she felt nervous, Bella blinked at the tall, wavy-haired cowboy standing in front of her and added quickly, "I'll just leave now."

Whipping around, she slammed her head straight into the barn door.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, cradling her nose with her hands and letting out a short groan. _Kill me now, please. Just take me out of my misery!_

A soft chuckle sounded from right behind her. Narrowing her eyes, Bella turned around and flashed the grinning cowboy an icy glare.

Backing off a step, he lifted both hands in surrender. "Whoa there…you must be Bella." Drawing the corner of his lips up in a slow, heart-dropping smile, he reached out his hand and introduced himself in what was probably the sexiest way imaginable.

"I'm Jasper…Jasper Hale."

Still nursing her throbbing nose with her hands, Bella ignored his waiting handshake and continued to glare at him as she recalled what Charlie had said to her after she was attacked by the monster puppy.

_One of my cowhands, Jasper, is working with him but he hasn't showed no progress yet._

So _he _was Jasper, one of Charlie's loyal cowhands. Bella glanced down at his rough, manly hands and had no doubt that they were capable of handling a cow…and quite possibly other "things" as well.

Blushing subtly at the thought, Bella cleared her throat and forced herself to stare once more into his spine-chilling eyes, which were gazing expectantly at her for an answer.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm Bella. And I…I really have to go."

Turning around more slowly this time, Bella was just about to open the door and step out when Jasper's deep, indomitable voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait. Don't you want a look around?"

_No, I don't want to look around, _Bella thought immediately. _I want to go back to Forks and have Phil disappear forever. I want Mom back, and my friends, and everything the way it once was. I don't want any of this!_

Sensing her hesitation, Jasper nodded silently in understanding and turned around, sticking his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and strolling out of the barn through the opposite side. After he had gone, Bella dropped her hands from the door and took a step forward, relieved to be alone once more.

A loud nicker from one of the stalls made her jump. Walking up to the stall, Bella glanced down and gasped in awe at what she saw inside.

It was a tiny reddish brown colt with a black mane and tail. It looked very young, perhaps only a month old, maybe less. As Bella watched him he lifted his neck and tossed his head playfully in the air.

Smiling, Bella reached her hand into the stall and murmured, "Hey, little guy."

The colt let out a gentle snort and trotted up to her hand, nudging it with his muzzle. Grinning, Bella ran her hand down his neck in a light caress and added apologetically, "Sorry, don't have any treats for you. But I promise to bring you some next time."

Bobbing his head up and down as if in approval, the colt nickered softly and took another step forward; sticking his head out from inside the stall and beginning to nibble on her scarf.

Laughing, Bella landed a kiss on his nose. "I guess I'm forgiven," she said.

Suddenly losing interest in the newcomer, the colt swung his head back inside the stall and began munching on the pile of hay next to him.

"Good-bye," Bella whispered softly, gazing at the colt for a couple more moments before checking out the rest of the stalls, peeking curiously through each one.

By the time she had seen all of the horses it was late evening and the sun was nearing its lowest point. Stepping outside of the barn, Bella found herself gazing out at the wide green pastures that made up thirty acres of the ranch, memorizing the grand, beautiful landscape.

_This will be my home for the next twelve months, _she thought, _m__ight as well get used to it._

Her stomach growled, making her aware of how hungry she was. With a sigh, Bella headed back to the house, eager to get out of the cold and freezing wind. Why would people ever want to live here? With each blast of wind that hit her skin she was beginning to appreciate Forks, her _real _home, even more.

Bella hurried inside and let out a quick breath of relief as warmth flooded through her. Her relief was soon replaced by shock, however, when she saw who all was waiting for her inside.

Charlie, accompanied by all his cowhands, was seated at the table, and the moment she stepped in each and every head snapped up to stare at her.

_Six, _Bella counted, feeling like she was about to faint. _Charlie has six cowhands…great. Just freaking fantastic._

"Bella!" Charlie exclaimed, flashing a grin from the opposite end of the table, "there you are. I was just about to have one of the boys go look for you. Go ahead and sit down, dinner's ready."

Bella glanced down at the table and nearly blanched when she saw what was there. Lasagna. The one meal her mother had known how to make without burning the whole house down. And it was right there, staring at her. Mocking her.

And not only that, but her father was actually _smiling. _She glanced over to see Jasper looking at her from beside Charlie, gazing at her in what she recognized to be pity. But why? How could he possibly _know? _

In that moment nausea hit her hard. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, Bella whispered faintly, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Not looking to see the reaction on Charlie's face, Bella spun around and ran to her room. Once inside, she slammed the door and flung herself on top of the bed.

And there, she began to weep. For several hours she cried, until finally exhaustion took over and she slipped into a deep, peaceful slumber.

But even when she was asleep she couldn't escape her mother's face and the last words she had whispered to her before taking her last, dying breath.

_I love you…stay strong._

* * *

She woke up to a ray of sunlight hitting her face. Squinting, Bella opened her eyes and suddenly couldn't remember where she was.

And then it all came rushing back. Meeting Jasper, the horse, almost throwing up at dinner…it had all happened. There was absolutely no denying the fact that she was miserable.

Here, all alone in her room, she could almost feel the depression seeping through her veins, reminding her that happiness was far out of reach. She would have to work for it.

But how, exactly?

She didn't feel like giving this place a chance. No, not when she was planning on leaving right after she graduated high school. She didn't want to risk falling in love with this place, or rather, the people in it. If she did then she'd be trapped and the desire to follow her dream would surely be lost.

Her dream? To become someone different. Someone _new._

Bella remembered her mother telling her once that all dreams were worth chasing, no matter how crazy you or anyone else considered them to be. Dreams to her were like better outcomes simply waiting to occur. Once you had the opportunity to fulfill them, you were home free.

_Will I ever be home free? _Bella thought miserably, before quickly reassuring herself, _of course I will. Once I get out of this place I'll be able to go anywhere I want. Nobody will be able to stop me._

A new found strength surged through her, and with that in mind she got out of bed, took a shower, and changed into some of her clean clothes. Leaving her hair down to frame her face, Bella stepped out of her room and headed to the front door of the house.

"Bella!"

Freezing in mid-stride, Bella turned around and glanced over at Charlie who was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper and drinking his early morning coffee.

"Yeah?" Bella questioned, praying that he wouldn't ask her if she was okay. She was not "okay" and she was never going to be "okay" until she was out of here, permanently.

Charlie blinked and said, "Er, good morning. Sometime today or tomorrow we need to go into town and enroll you in school. You'll be a senior, right?"

Bella nodded and replied, "Yeah, I'll be a senior."

"Okay. Well, uh, whenever you want we'll go down there," he stated, before glancing back down at his newspaper.

Taking this as a sign that she could leave, Bella slipped out the door and headed towards the barn, eager to see the little colt again after their friendly encounter the other night.

Once she was inside the barn and out of the cold, Bella took out an apple from her coat pocket that she had stolen from the kitchen and glanced down the row of stalls. As if sensing her presence, the little colt let out a soft nicker of welcome. Bella headed straight towards his stall and placed her hand on the lock, opening it at the same moment a head popped up to stare at her in surprise.

It was Jasper.

And he was staring at her with that same sexy grin again.

All color drained from her face and she frowned in disappointment, having hoped that she would be alone. She should have known that with six cowhands working at the ranch it would be nearly impossible.

Stepping away, Bella stammered, "Um, I was just-"

"So you've met Lucky, huh?"

"Lucky?" Bella repeated, glancing down at the colt that had already caught sight of the apple in her hand. He began to wildly bob his head up and down, neighing eagerly.

"Yup, this here is Lucky. I think he likes you." Smiling, Jasper glanced down at the apple. "You might want to give him that before his head falls off."

Bella reached out and thrusted the apple at Lucky's face. Before the colt could grab it, however, Jasper took the apple from her hand and said softly, "If you give it to him like that you might as well say good-bye to your fingers. Here, let me show you the right way."

Without any warning he grasped her fingers, sending a bolt of electricity to travel down her spine. Gulping nervously, Bella watched as he placed the apple in the palm of her hand and then moved her hand so that it was hovering right below Lucky's muzzle.

Snorting softly, Lucky swallowed the apple in three bites, and in return left drops of juicy saliva to slip through her fingers.

Laughing, Jasper let go of Bella's hand and flashed her a friendly smile. "Isn't he great?"

"Yeah…he's amazing," Bella murmured.

"So, how about a tour?" he asked unexpectedly, giving Lucky a final pat on the neck. "There's a ton to see around here. Do you know how to ride?"

"Um…no, actually."

"Oh. Well, I'd be happy to teach you. It's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. We could-"

"No," Bella snapped, surprising him as well as her with her angry retort,"I don't want a tour. I don't want to learn how to ride a horse. All I want is to finish high school here and get the _hell _out. And you know what? I don't expect anyone to understand."

She backed away with fists clenched and added, "Not you, not Charlie, not any of the other five freaking cowhands that work here. Not _anyone. _So just do us both a favor and leave me alone, okay?"

Not caring to see his face and if he was hurt or merely shocked by her sudden outburst, Bella ran out of the barn and hoped he wouldn't follow. She didn't want to become his friend because whether or not she was pleased by it, she couldn't afford to become attached to anyone. It was only for the best.

_For the best, _Bella concluded with a tired sigh, and then wondered why such a thought would leave an incredibly deep, hollow feeling inside.

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**Leave me your thoughts, if you have any, I'm curious to know what you think!**


	4. The Wrong Bella

"_Life is just one damned thing after another."_

**Elbert Hubbard**

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Chapter Three

Bella woke up the next day feeling sick.

Today was her first day as a senior at Cody High School and needless to say she wasn't too excited about it. She was going to be the center of attention and right now that was the last thing she wanted. If only she had the power to become invisible so she could just float down the halls and escape all of the stares. Life would be a lot easier if that was only possible.

But of course, life wasn't easy. It never was.

After hitting the snooze button three times, she finally forced herself to get up. Heaving a reluctant sigh, she climbed out of bed and slipped on her outfit for today, which consisted of a pair of old faded out blue jeans and a jean jacket over a plain white t-shirt. She put her hair up in a pony-tail and then looked at her reflection in the mirror. Not particularly wanting to look like a fourteen year old freshman who was attending high school for the first time, she put her hair back down and then slipped on her sneakers.

When she had acquired her normal look as an ordinary teenage girl, Bella walked out of her room and into the kitchen, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Jasper there, leaning against the counter munching on an apple.

_Not again, _she thought with a barely audible groan. What did he want with her now?

"What are you doing here?" Bella demanded.

Jasper glanced up in surprise when he heard her voice and then quickly stood up straight. Taking off his cowboy hat like the gentlemen he was, he flashed a warm welcoming smile and said politely, "Well, word is I'm supposed to be your escort until Charlie gets you a good car."

Bella raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

Grinning good-naturedly, he swallowed the last bite of his apple and then tossed the core into the trash can, hitting it perfectly. His amber eyes lit up briefly with triumph.

Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Sorry, ma'am, just following orders," he drawled.

"I'd rather walk," Bella muttered crossly to herself.

"And I'd gladly let you do the honors _if _the school wasn't thirteen miles away," came the cowboy's quick, humorous response.

"Or," Jasper added slowly, "you could ride horseback. But if I do remember correctly you don't know how. So then that just leaves driving a car, which right now you don't have-"

She woke up with one nerve left this morning and dammit, now he was getting on it.

"All right, all right! I'll go if you shut up," Bella exclaimed in exasperation. She seriously did not need this right now. Why couldn't Charlie have gotten her the car beforehand? And why did it have to be _Jasper _to take her to school? Out of his five other freaking cowhands?

Turning around, she stomped out the front door, realizing a moment too late that she had forgotten to get her backpack.

_Ugh._

Whipping around, she opened the door again and almost collided with Jasper as he stepped out, her backpack grasped in his hand.

"Looking for this?" he questioned politely.

"Thanks," Bella mumbled, snatching the backpack none-too-gently out of his hand. Turning back around, she started down the porch steps but was once again taken by surprise when her feet stomped down on the cat's tail.

Simultaneously, Toby and Bella let out a high-pitched shriek. The cat leapt off the step, while Bella of course began her descent to the ground. Jasper's hand shot forward just in time to grab her by the waist and she was left hanging over his arm, gasping for breath.

Trying very hard not to laugh, Jasper stood her up right and asked softly next to her ear, "You all right, love?"

"I'm _fine,_" Bella snapped, not quite in the mood to thank him, _again. _"And the name is Bella."

_Stupid cat, _Bella thought angrily, picking up her backpack and swinging it over her shoulder. _Stupid Jasper. Why does he have to be so damn nice?_

As she marched towards his truck one more aggravating thought came to mind.

_This is definitely not my day._

* * *

The ride to school was pretty much uneventful. Bella rode shotgun with her mouth clamped firmly shut and her legs crossed. Jasper had put on some music to make the atmosphere less strained but Bella still felt immensely uncomfortable.

_I can't believe Charlie is putting me through this torture, _she thought the moment Jasper pulled onto the main road. _Why couldn't he just drive me there himself?_

Oh yeah, because he was the chief of policemen.

And she was the chief of policeman's daughter, which suddenly made Bella realize everybody at school probably already knew she was coming today.

Could this day get any worse?

Bella began to focus her attention on the music, noting for the first time that it sounded like some wild, ritual African dance. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced over at him in confusion.

"What exactly are we listening to?" she questioned.

"Kompa," he answered simply without looking away from the road.

"Kompa," Bella echoed, wondering what kind of music genre that was. One thing was for sure, it was definitely not a very common one.

"It's compas music," Jasper added, as if that explained it all. Thankfully, he continued after sensing Bella's utter bewilderment. "The genre was derived from African and European roots. It's worldwide so you could probably get it at any record store."

_Not likely, _Bella thought, bemused.

"Right," she replied, glancing out the window while furthermore thinking, _who __**is **__this guy?_

"So, is that what you basically listen to?"

"Naw," he answered in his increasingly annoying country accent, "I like to listen to all kinds of music."

"Like?" Bella probed, wondering why she even bothered. She was in no way interested in this guy. He was _so _not her type. And plus there was to be absolutely _no _attachments.

Zero. Zilch. _Nada._

"Jazz, Celtic, Techno, Rock, R&B, Country, Funk…" he rattled off mostly every music genre she knew and if that already wasn't enough, he finished by asking her, "And you?"

She answered by saying, "Oh, you know, this and that," hoping he'd get the hint that she wanted to stop talking.

He did.

And so the rest of the ride was driven in silence.

By the time they drove into the school parking lot, she was dying to get out of the truck. The moment he pulled into a parking spot and turned off the ignition she climbed out and grabbed her bag out of the truck bed. Not looking to see if he was following, she threw her backpack over her shoulder and began walking towards the school.

_Please don't follow me, please don't follow me, _she silently begged. She walked into the school quickly and then pulled out her schedule, reading her first class out loud.

"Pre-Calc with Mr. Burns, room 312."

"That's my first class too!"

She literally jumped at the sound of the high, friendly voice that had suddenly crept up right from beside her in the crowded hallway. Jerking her head up, she glanced beside her to gaze at the tall, geeky-looking black-haired guy standing before her, grinning like an insane idiot. Blinking, she offered him a weak smile.

"You must be Bella, Charlie's daughter? I'm Eric. I'll take you to our room, if you'd like."

"Er, okay…"

Reluctantly, she fell into step beside him. _So much for wanting to be invisible, _Bella thought.

"So, what other classes do you have?" he asked conversationally.

"English 4, Chemistry, PE…"

Eric's face brightened. "You'll love our PE class. Coach Barnett has narcolepsy and so he sleeps basically the whole period. The hardest thing we've ever had to do was push-ups."

Thankfully, Bella didn't have to respond to that because finally they had reached the classroom. She followed Eric to the back and then sat down in the chair next to him, dropping her backpack by her feet.

Before she had the chance to get out her notebook, her new buddy Eric had already begun to introduce her to her fellow classmates.

"Hey Jess, meet Bella! She's Charlie's daughter."

Glancing up, Bella looked over at the pretty dark brown-haired girl that Eric had just introduced her too and nodded numbly.

The girl, who she now knew was named Jess, flashed Bella a wide, friendly smile. "Hi, welcome to Cody. You'll like it here."

Before she could open her mouth and respond, Jessica asked her, "Have you met Angela?" She pointed to the short, light brown-haired girl that had suddenly sat in the seat in front of her.

"Hi," Bella replied absently, "Nice to meet you."

Class started soon after that, much to Bella's relief. In fact, the first two classes zipped right on by, and soon she found herself at lunch, sitting at a table between Jessica and Angela as they chattered away. Bored beyond belief, Bella took a sip of her milk and was just about to slip off into dreamland when she heard something that immediately made her snap back into reality.

"Hey Angela, do you think I should ask Jasper to the dance?" Jess chirped beside her.

"Jasper?" Bella echoed automatically, glancing over at Jessica in sudden interest.

"Oh my God, do you know him?" Jessica questioned eagerly, leaning closer towards Bella.

Bella shrugged slightly and then glanced down at her tray. "Not really…I mean we've seen each other around…"

"Isn't he just _gorgeous_?" Jessica enthused, letting out a long, dreamy sigh.

Angela glanced over at Bella and smiled apologetically. "She's had a crush on him ever since the seventh grade. Needless to say, she's kind of crazy over him."

"Oh," Bella said quietly, picking at her corn with her fork. _I wonder if Jasper likes her, _she thought, surprised at the little prick of envy she felt. She quickly pushed the feeling aside, not caring for it one bit.

"So anyway," Jessica continued, "I've been thinking this week about asking him to the winter formal. Do you think he'll want to come with me?"

"Of course," Angela said with an approving smile, "You're gorgeous. Any guy would be lucky to go out with a girl like you."

Jessica beamed. "Thanks, Angela. I think I'll ask him in the parking lot after school. I forget what car he drives though…"

"Truck," Bella answered without thinking.

_Oh. Crap._

Jessica looked at her in surprise. "Really? How do you know?"

"Um, I don't. I just kind of figured…" Bella covered up, wincing inwardly at how utterly pathetic it sounded.

Jessica flashed her a weird glance and then changed the subject to something Bella could care less about.

Not long after that awkward conversation, lunch ended and Bella scurried off to her last classes of the day. It went by quickly with her thinking about possible ways to get home without having to drive in Jasper's truck. She honestly did not want to watch Jessica ask Jasper out, and she also didn't want her new so called "friend" to find out he was her ride home.

So, what was a poor girl to do in a situation like this?

Panic.

There had to be _some _way she could avoid this; perhaps another ride home? Liking this idea more and more by the minute, Bella glanced around the classroom until her eyes landed on Angela. At that same moment the dismissal bell rang and Bella immediately sprang into action.

"Hey, Angela!" Bella called, walking quickly over to her desk.

Angela glanced up and flashed Bella a smile. "Hey, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you could give me a ride home," Bella asked, hoping desperately that the answer would be yes. She didn't know any other way that she could get out of this mess.

"Don't you have a car?" Angela asked.

"Um, no."

"Then how did you get to school?"

"Uh…" Bella stammered, thinking fast as she said, "My…my Dad's friend dropped me off. I'm getting my own car sometime next week."

"Oh, okay. Well, sure you can."

Relief flooded through her. Smiling, Bella thanked her and then followed her out of the classroom.

They made it halfway to the parking lot when Jasper unexpectedly walked right up to them. "Hey, Bella! Ready to go home?"

_Shit._

Angela glanced over at her in confusion and Bella feigned a look of utter bewilderment.

"I think you've got the wrong Bella," she said innocently to Jasper, grabbing Angela and yanking her forward. "He's crazy," she whispered fiercely in her ear, hoping Angela would buy it despite how ludicrous it all seemed. "I don't even know him!"

They walked quickly to Angela's car, leaving a very stunned cowboy behind them. When they finally approached Angela's brand new red Toyota, Bella slipped inside quickly and blew out a sigh of relief.

"Wow, that was just _weird,_" Angela announced as she turned the car on and backed out of the parking spot.

"So weird," Bella agreed. _You have no idea, _she thought, glancing into the rear view mirror as they started to drive out of the school parking lot.

Jasper was still standing there, his thick honey-hued hair whipping wildly in the cold November wind. Despite the growing distance between them Bella could read his expression easily, and what she saw made her blood turn the same temperature as the weather.

It was then Bella realized she had made a _huge _mistake, and she suddenly dreaded going back home.


	5. Everybody Needs Somebody

_"So here you are now, nowhere to turn  
It's just the same old yesterday  
And you made a promise to yourself  
That you were never gonna be this way  
And the only thing that you've ever known is to run  
So you keep on driving faster into the sun."_

**Keith Urban**

* * *

Chapter Four

_Maybe he's not here,_ Bella thought to herself hopefully, waving good-bye to Angela as the car gave off a farewell honk. _Maybe he decided to go home and take the day off. Cowhands are allowed to have days off, right?_

As Bella started the long walk down the driveway towards the house, she thought about what she would say to Jasper when he confronted her. _If _he confronted her.

_I'll run away, _Bella thought instantly, but her inner voice thought differently.

_Coward, _it accused her.

Okay, so, maybe not.

_I'll call him a baby for being so damn sensitive about it._

Well, that would simply make her sound like a bitch.

But wasn't she? What she had done this afternoon probably made her one, and in thinking that Bella felt even worse.

_Okay, how about I just tell him the truth? _

It may not be the easiest thing to do, but it was the best scenario. And more than anything, Jasper deserved the truth.

_I can't believe I just said that, _Bella thought with a groan, knowing exactly what was going on.

She was starting to _like_ him.

"No, no, no!" Bella exclaimed, kicking the ground with her shoe and stirring a cloud of dust. "This can't be happening," she muttered, glancing up and blinking in surprise when she saw Bear sitting near the porch steps, gazing at her with his tongue, of course, lolling out of his mouth.

"What are _you _staring at?" Bella shot at him.

Letting out a soft whine, the black and white malamute laid down and placed his monstrous head on his two front paws, continuing to stare at her with his black beady eyes.

Sighing, Bella dropped her book bag on the ground next to the puppy and headed towards the barn. _What am I doing? _Bella chided herself, glaring down at her feet. _Traitors. _Her head was screaming at her to go back, but her heart obviously had a different plan.

Bella had a feeling that she wasn't going to like it.

Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar pair of tan, rough-looking hands mucking out a pile of hay.

Nope, she did not like this plan one bit.

* * *

"_Don't have to find your own way out  
You gotta voice, let it be heard  
Just when it feels you're on a dead end road  
There's always somewhere left to turn."_

* * *

_I feel like I'm about to be sent to the guillotine. _

Inhaling a deep breath, Bella took the last couple of steps towards Jasper and then froze when he lifted his head to glance up at her.

"Um, hi," Bella murmured, glancing back down at her feet.

They stood in silence for an entire minute. Bella could feel Jasper's stern, penetrating gaze on her the whole time and if that wasn't already over-whelming enough, she had absolutely no idea what to say.

Finally, he spoke, and what he said made her eyes cloud with guilt.

"So, are you going to explain why you ditched me today or am I gonna have to guess?"

At last Bella forced herself to look up, but suddenly wished she hadn't because what she saw on Jasper's face wasn't pretty.

He looked hurt. But more than hurt he looked…disappointed, and the disappointment in her showed clearly in his deep amber eyes.

_I didn't mean to! _Bella wanted to shout, but instead she bit down softly on her bottom lip and gulped.

"I…I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Jasper said quietly. "I'm asking for an explanation as to why you pointlessly embarrassed me this afternoon. It's not often that I get treated that way, and for no reason."

"I d-didn't mean to…I was just…trying to avoid something," Bella finished with a grimace, sparing a glance up at his face.

His angry expression gave her no mercy. "You mean, you were trying to avoid _me_?"

"No!" Bella exclaimed quickly, shaking her head. "No, that's not it."

"Then what?" Jasper questioned, beginning to sound impatient. "What were you possibly avoiding that made you treat me like that?"

"Jessica," Bella blurted out finally, her cheeks flaming with color. "She…she was planning on asking you out after school and I didn't want to stand there like an idiot while you two flirted with each other. And plus, I can find my _own _way back home. I don't need one of my daddy's employees chauffeuring me around all the time. I do have _some _dignity, you know."

There, she had said it. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, Bella waited for Jasper's reaction, having no idea at the moment what it would be. People were so damn unpredictable.

Closing her eyes, she waited for him to say something. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long.

"Jessica?" he repeated in astonishment, no trace of anger left in his tone. Instead, he sounded completely bewildered. "You were avoiding me because of Jessica?"

Bella nodded, her eyes still shut tightly to avoid the punishing look on Jasper's face.

However, a chuckle made her open them and stare at the handsome cowboy in shock. He was nearly doubled over with laughter, his face hidden by the top of his cowboy hat. Scowling, Bella crossed her arms and stuck up her chin.

"Excuse me, but what's so funny?"

Shaking his head, Jasper finally ceased his laughing only to give her a wide grin. "I can't believe you think I like Jessica."

Bella shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. "I don't know…she's pretty? And nice…"

"Well, for your information, she did ask me. And I said no," Jasper murmured, gazing softly into Bella's eyes. "Bella, you could have just warned me about her instead of treating me like…I don't know…a freak. I would've understood."

"How was I to know that you didn't like her though?" Bella said defensively, narrowing her eyes. "I barely know you."

"Yeah? No wonder. For the past few days you've been putting off every chance that I've given you. Is it me, or do you just not like having friends?" Jasper stared at her intently, wanting answers that Bella knew she couldn't give.

"Maybe I don't _need _them," Bella snapped, glaring sharply at him. "Ever thought of that?"

Jasper's piercing golden eyes softened and as he continued to gaze at her he murmured gently, "Everybody needs somebody sometimes…"

* * *

"_So don't give up now  
You're so close to a brand new day  
Yes, you are and if you just can't bear to be alone  
I'll stay_

* * *

Bella snorted, "Yeah? Well _I _don't. So just give up, all right? Quit while you're ahead."

Before he had a chance to respond Bella ran inside the barn and towards Lucky's stall. When she looked inside she saw the little foal standing there, his ears pricked forward as if he had been expecting her all along. Blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall, she unlatched the gate and stepped inside.

Sliding down against the wall, Bella sat down on a pile of straw and wrapped her arms around her drawn up knees, feeling several tears fall from her eyes. Lucky let out a soft whinny and stared at her curiously, taking a step forward to sniff her hair.

"Oh Lucky," Bella whispered, lifting her head and letting it fall against his shoulder. "I can't help but to push him away…if I become his friend, I'll only hurt him more in the long run. He doesn't know anything about what I've been through…and I can't explain it to him. I don't want to think about it…I never want to think about it again. He won't understand that. No one would."

More tears fell from her cheeks as Lucky reached out with his muzzle and started to nibble softly on her hair. Throwing her arms around the horse's neck, she drew him closer in a desperate attempt to be comforted. "I knew you would understand," she whispered softly to the foal.

"And I could too…if you'd let me," came Jasper's voice.

* * *

'_Well, maybe I've been too caught up to see_

_What you've been going through and all that I can say is,'_

* * *

Letting out a gasp, Bella opened her eyes and turned her head to see Jasper standing outside the stall, staring in at her sympathetically.

He held up a hand and said, "Look, before you say anything…let me say first that I'm sorry for whatever you've been through. Even without knowing, I can tell you're still in a considerable amount of pain and I want to do my best to help. You can scream, yell, throw any insult at me that you want, but no matter what I will _not _give up. You're special, Bella. I knew that the moment I met you."

Bella opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again without uttering a sound. Speechless, she stared at him for several moments, trying to comprehend the words that had just spilled from the cowboy's mouth. Were they really all true? Could she honestly trust him to understand? _No, _her head told her. _Don't listen to a word of it…you don't even know this guy. _

_What has he ever done but be nice to you? _Her heart cried out in defense. _Listen to him…he means what he's saying. He wants to help you…so let him._

"Why do you want to help me?" Bella whispered, glancing up at him with tear-filled eyes.

Stepping inside the stall, Jasper crouched down in front of her and lifted her chin gently with his thumb. Gazing intently into her eyes he whispered, "Because when I see somebody in pain, I'm not the kind of person who is able to just walk away. I have to _do _something about it."

"Like what?" Another tear slid down her cheek, and Jasper quickly brushed it away.

"Well, first off, I'm going to make you smile," Jasper murmured, staring so deeply into Bella's eyes that she could've sworn he saw every little thing that she had been trying to hide from him all this time. "And then, once that is accomplished, I'm going to work my way through getting rid of all that pain that's been eating you alive."

_Good luck, _Bella thought, letting out a snort.

"Close," Jasper observed thoughtfully. "But you gotta turn up the corners of your lips a little bit more."

Bella scowled. "I _know _how to smile." _Idiot._

"That's hard to believe, considering you never do it," Jasper argued with a frown.

"Ever thought that I'm just not in the mood to?" Bella pointed out with a raise of her eyebrow. "Ever thought that maybe, just maybe, I don't _want _to?"

"Well you _should _want to," Jasper murmured, reaching up and brushing a strand of her hair away from her eyes. "Because when you do, the sun's blinding rays pale in comparison."

Rolling her eyes, Bella slapped his hand away. "Cheesy, much? And please don't tell me you plan to seduce me as well."

"Oh, trust me," Jasper said with a mysterious grin, standing up slowly. "Whenever I plan to seduce you…_if _I ever plan to seduce you…you _will_ know."

Bella's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

Jasper smiled, "Never mind. Just remember, I'm _not _giving up…because whether you know it now or not, you're worth more than you think. So do _me_ a favor…look in the mirror and smile," he winked, "then you'll know what I'm talking about."

Giving Lucky one last pat Jasper walked out of the stall, leaving a very stunned Bella behind to ponder what had been said.

'_So do me a favor…look in the mirror and smile. You're worth more than you think.'_

Bella contemplated this for a couple minutes, sitting there in a pile of straw with Lucky as her only company, and then sat up, giving the little foal a big kiss on his muzzle.

"Well, Lucky, what do you think? Should I give him a chance?"

Throwing up his head, Lucky let out a loud nicker, the black strands of his tail swishing from side to side. Bella smiled, and in realizing it, touched the tips of her fingers to her mouth.

"So, Lucky, do the sun's blinding rays pale in comparison to my smile?"

Lucky snorted and lowered his head to sniff at the hay scattered across the floor.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. What a load of crap, huh?" Stepping forward, Bella patted his head affectionately and then left the stall, a wistful sigh escaping her lips.

Walking out of the barn, she headed towards the house. Dinner would be ready soon and Charlie had told her that she was to finally meet all of his cowhands. She didn't really want to smell like horse shit when he introduced her, so luckily enough she had time to take a shower beforehand.

Once she was in the house she stepped over the sleeping cat that was stretched out across the hallway and walked into the bathroom. Just as she was about to turn on the water, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Blinking, she turned slowly until her whole body was facing it and stepped forward.

'…_look in the mirror and smile,' _Jasper's words echoed through her mind, '_then you'll know what I'm talking about.'_

Inhaling a deep breath she forced herself to smile, gazing expectantly into the mirror.

But what she saw disappointed her.

She didn't transform into the stunning girl that Jasper had so sincerely described. She looked, honestly, like a tortured princess. And that radiant smile he had seen? It wasn't there.

_It was broken._

He had been lying all along, just to make her feel better. Shaking her head angrily, Bella whipped around and grabbed the first thing she could find – a bottle of lotion, and threw it against the mirror. It busted open, spewing its contents all over the bathroom counter.

"I hate him," Bella whispered fiercely, wrapping her arms around herself and closing her eyes, letting the darkness consume her. "I hate him…"

But even as she repeated this over and over, she couldn't help but remember the soft, gentle words he had spoken to her. '_Everybody needs somebody sometimes.'_

'_I could too…if you'd let me.'_

And the way he had touched her, setting her whole body on fire.

* * *

**Thank you for the reviews, I appreciate every single one. :)**


	6. Meeting The Cowhands

"_I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time."_

**Charles M. Schulz**

Chapter Five

* * *

"What is _that?_"

Bella stared in dismay at the poorly painted red four-cylinder truck that Charlie was grinning at so proudly from beside her. Only one thought ran through her mind as she forced herself not to panic.

_Was he kidding?_

"That right there Bella is one fine beauty. Hey, that's what you can name it! _Beauty_. So, what do ya think?"

She thought that she was going to die, right there in front of her exhaustively exuberant father who would not stop goddamn smiling. Honestly, who did Charlie think she was? Some down home country chick? _Think again, Dad. I'm nothing of the kind._

No, she had been born and raised in Forks, Washington, which was less than a three hour drive to Seattle. She had made several trips there with her mother and had enjoyed the perpetual energy and hustle bustle of everyday city life. She was definitely a true city girl at heart…who funnily enough now owned a red pick-up truck.

Screw the world – and all the freaking pick-up trucks in it.

"Bella?" Charlie repeated, beginning to get worried by his daughter's close-mouthed demeanor. Lowering his hand from the door of the truck, he raised an eyebrow and questioned, "What do you think?"

"Um, what happened to that small Toyota that you were going to get me?" Bella managed to spit out in the midst of all her repugnance. She hid it well though, her expression a perfect facade of bemusement and complaisance.

Charlie frowned. "Well, I _was _going to get you that one, but then a friend of a friend called me up and gave me a great offer. This used to be his father's truck, but since the man retired he didn't have much use for it anymore and decided to sell it dirt cheap. There might be a few things we'll need to fix, but other than that it's in perfect condition. So, do you love it or what?"

_I'm going to be driving some old man's decrepit truck, which probably smells as bad as it looks. What's not to love?_

Bella resisted the urge to scream and instead flashed her father a darling smile. "It's great, Dad. Perfect. A fine beauty, just like you said. Thank you _so_ much."

And just to give him payback for not giving her the Toyota she had so desperately wanted, Bella threw her arms around Charlie and gave him a great big squeeze. Grunting in surprise and discomfort, Charlie patted her awkwardly on the back and mumbled, "Er, you're very welcome, Bells."

Still smiling, Bella finally released him from her death grip and took a liberating step away from her father. "So, now that I have a car – er, _truck,_ Jasper is free from his obligating duty of driving me to school. Correct?"

"Yep. And oh, speaking of Jasper, it's about time for you to meet my loyal cowhands."

All healthy color drained from Bella's face. "Great!" she exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.

_Hate. Hate, hate, hate._

"They're all in the house taking a break, so come on in," Charlie said with a grin. "Oh, and before you do, let me warn you, they're a little…well, they're boys. That should pretty much explain it."

_Explain what? _Bella thought, a little frightened as she climbed the porch steps cautiously, just in case there were any cat tails lying around.

She didn't need an answer to that lingering question, because as soon as she stepped inside Bella discovered it quite quickly. A quick gasp escaped her lips as a flying banana soared over her head, and she immediately became alert. Pursing her lips, Bella turned her head to look at who had thrown the tortured discolored fruit, and her eyes widened.

All six of them were lined up inside the kitchen, including Jasper who was leaning lazily against the refrigerator door, his arms leisurely crossed. His thick, tousled blond hair was gorgeous as usual, and if that wasn't as heart-stopping as it gets five other pairs of flat-out stunning eyes were staring right back at her with matching grins on every one of their faces.

What _was_ it with guys and their obnoxious grins? Was it so hard for them to smile normally?

Already Bella was regretting her decision to move in with her father. If she had known that she would have the company of his six tall, overly-gorgeous cowhands she would've stayed to endure her step-father's harsh betrayal. Shockingly, she would prefer _that _over _this._

"You must be Bella Swan, Charlie's daughter," one of the cowhands finally spoke up – a handsome, dark-haired man who looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties with the most startling brown eyes she had ever seen. Bella's breath hitched as he announced, "I'm Sam Uley. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, ma'am."

Bella's soft brown eyes settled on the next cowhand as he took a step forward from the counter, his gleaming white teeth flashing in a brilliant smile. But what Bella noticed first about this cowboy was his long, shaggy black hair, and the way his pitch black gaze pinned hers as he spoke.

"I'm Jacob Black, but you can call me Jake. Oh, and don't feel intimidated by this guy here," he gave Sam a playful punch on the shoulder, "he's just a big old teddy bear."

"Cool it, Jake," Sam grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Smirking, Jake leaned back against the counter and glanced towards the tall and slender cowhand standing beside him, who looked to be only about sixteen years of age. With short, black cropped hair and reddish brown skin he appeared to be the perfect replica of an Indian.

Offering Bella a slow, deliberate smile, he dipped his head and said quietly, "Hello Bella, I'm Embry… Embry Call."

"Who more often than not mistakes himself as James Bond," Jake joked, followed by a snort of laughter from Sam.

"Shut up, you guys. You sound like a horde of squealing monkeys," the cowhand beside Sam sneered, lifting his cowboy hat to reveal dimpled cheeks and curly dark hair. As Bella's eyes roamed down she caught sight of his well-built biceps and her mouth ran dry. _Damn._

"Emmett McCarty." The name rolled off his tongue perfectly as he flashed Bella a huge, handsome grin. "Nice to finally have a pretty little thing like you around here."

"Quit flirting with her Emmett, she doesn't want you," the next cowhand admonished with a soft chuckle. Glancing over at Bella with his light, dreamy hazel eyes, he tipped his cowboy hat to her and said politely, "Name's Stacy Martin, ma'am."

"And you already know me," came the deep, mesmerizing voice that had her heart beating over-time. While looking at Jasper it was hard to distinguish all the other cowhands hanging around the room, and for the first time since she entered the house her cheeks flushed wildly with color.

"It's um, nice to meet you all," Bella stammered, her eyes wandering around the kitchen aimlessly, having no idea where to look. There were so many, and all of them were staring directly at _her_. If there was one thing Bella did not like, it was attention.

And when Bella did not like something, she ran from it; which is exactly what she decided to do.

Giving them all a nervous smile, Bella took a step backwards towards the door. "Right. So, I'm gonna go and…visit the horses. Yeah. You all just continue to…frolic with fruit, or whatever you were doing. Good-bye!"

Like the wind she was out the door and making a beeline for her truck. Wrenching the door open, she climbed inside and turned on the ignition, breathing a sigh of relief when it sputtered to life.

_Please, just get me the hell out of here, _Bella thought as she clamped her foot down hard on the gas pedal. The truck jerked forward, tires squealing and gravel flying as she made her way down the driveway and towards the open road.

She had no idea where she was headed, but there was _one _thing that she was certain of.

_Thank fuck for trucks._

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, sorry about that. But the good news is you'll only have to wait till Wednesday! ****Also...what _is _it with Bella and running? I mean, I don't know about you but if I was in a kitchen with six gorgeous cowhands I'd be salivating, not skedaddling. Sheesh Bella, get a hold of yourself, woman! Haha. Anyways, let me know your thoughts. Thanks!  
**


	7. Taking A Chance

_"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."_

**Paul Valery**

Chapter Six

* * *

Today she was going to ride a horse.

She was going to show that son of a bitch cowboy that she _could_ in fact ride.

It couldn't be _that _hard, could it? It had always seemed so simple. All it looked like you needed to do was swing onto the horse's back, grab ahold of the reins and tap the horse lightly with your heels, and then let it go. That was certainly manageable, right?

With this thought set firmly in mind, Bella opened the stall door of a brown and white pinto munching quietly on a pile of hay. Lifting his head, he stared at her curiously while continuing to munch, the straw of hay sticking out both sides of his muzzle.

"Hey there, big guy," Bella said cheerfully, taking a step forward and giving him a little scratch behind the ear. "Wanna ride?"

The gelding let out a shrill, hitch-pitched neigh, causing Bella to take a quick step back in surprise.

"Was that really necessary?" Bella scolded, crossing her arms. "You nearly busted my ear drums. I like my hearing intact, thank you very much."

The horse snorted loudly, swishing his tail back in forth in a forceful manner. Taking this as a sign that he was excited, Bella laughed and stepped closer this time. Placing her hands on the back of the horse, she blinked and thought, _well, here goes nothing._

With one mighty jump her chest was flat on the horse's back. Scrambling around, Bella grabbed onto the horse's mane and yanked herself forward to become better balanced. To her complete shock and utter horror the gelding emitted a terrible shriek and rose onto its hind legs, lashing out with his front hooves.

One of the hooves came into contact with the wall and Bella winced as the horrible noise resounded in her ears. A sudden gasp escaped her throat as she lost her grip on the horse's mane and in less than a second she was on the ground, her head crashing into the corner of the stall.

Another high-pitched shriek came from the horse and out of the corner of her eye she could see his flashing hooves, narrowing in on her face. Closing her eyes, she waited for death to transpire, but was caught unexpectedly by surprise when a handsome blond-haired cowboy bounded into the stall. He immediately lifted his hands and calmed the raging psycho horse who had been aiming to kill her just the moment before.

Once that was accomplished Jasper turned around and focused his attention on Bella, frowning when he saw blood trickling down the side of her forehead. "Shoot," he muttered, bending down and cradling her face in his rough, yet gentle hands. He swiped the lingering blood away with his thumb and mused softly, "It ain't that bad. Could've been worse."

"Who are you talking to?" Bella mumbled, lifting her hand to swipe his away yet missing completely.

"You, idiot," Jasper said, but so lightly that Bella could hardly take it as an insult. "What were you thinking, coming into old Hammer's stall? He could've killed you."

Bella blinked and then let out a giggle. "His name is Hammer?"

"I don't see how you think this is funny," Jasper said with a frown, although the corner of his lips had twitched slightly at her comment. "What were you trying to do anyway, besides kill yourself?"

Narrowing her eyes, Bella shrugged a little in embarrassment. She refused to tell him the truth. "I was just…petting him."

"On his back?" Jasper questioned, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes, on his back," Bella snapped, glaring at him. "What's with the twenty questions?"

Jasper stared at her thoughtfully for a couple moments, before a grin suddenly appeared on his face. "You were trying to learn how to ride, weren't you?"

"I was _not _trying to learn how to ride," Bella denied hotly, her cheeks undoubtedly beginning to flame with heat. "God, that sounds so…_absurd. You're _absurd if you think that _I_-"

"All you had to do was ask," Jasper said calmly, "and I would have gladly taught you."

"Shut up! I do _not _want to-"

Jasper cut her off, excitement in his tone as he began to talk about riding. "So how would you like to learn first, saddle or bare-back? For beginners I'd recommend saddle. Bare-back can be a tad bit uncomfortable, but you get used to it after a while. The next thing we need to consider is whether you should ride Western or English. Hmm, Western probably, riding English can get a bit bouncy and I don't want you falling off again. Speaking of which, how is your head?"

Bella stared at him blankly, mouth hanging open. She hadn't even noticed the ebbing throb in her head until he had mentioned it, but she chose to ignore it and instead focus on Jasper.

"I'm perfectly fine," Bella sniffed, wondering why he had to be so concerned. She wasn't a fragile little doll; she was completely capable of taking care of herself. And besides, if she could survive many other more dramatic injuries in her lifetime than she could certainly survive being thrown off a damned horse.

"Well, next time don't just mount a random horse and assume you can ride it. Every horse has their own temperament and some are worse than others, especially old Hammer's." Jasper pointed his thumb over at Hammer, chewing contently on his hay once again. "And especially when you don't even know the basics," he added.

"I do too know the basics," Bella said, lying straight through her teeth.

"Really?" Jasper crossed his arms and eyed her. "What are they then?" he challenged.

"Um, they're…uh, um…" Bella sighed, shoulders slumping. Damn it. Damn him. "Okay, fine, I don't know them. Happy?"

"Nope, not until I see you riding properly. Now, follow me. We're going to go pick out a saddle."

Oh, the nerve of this cowboy! Who did he think he was, bossing her around like this? If she couldn't learn how to ride a horse on her own than she didn't want to learn at all. But something about the way he glanced over his shoulder and smiled caused her to follow him, and a defeated sigh escaped her lips.

"You were wrong, you know," Bella told him as they walked towards the tack room.

Jasper gave her a quick sidelong glance and asked, "Wrong about what?"

"About my smile," she clarified, her voice firm, "I didn't see anything. You were wrong."

Stopping, Jasper turned to face her. Pressing his lips into a tight, firm line, he stared at Bella for several long moments before murmuring, "Maybe you were looking but you weren't actually _seeing._"

"What?" Bella rolled her eyes. "Of course I was _seeing, _that's what eyes are for, aren't they? The last time I checked they were both working. I saw _nothing. _Okay? Nothing. You obviously were lying to make me feel better. Right?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I would never lie to you," Jasper said, frowning. "Bella, if you just _let _yourself feel-"

"And for what?" Bella quickly interrupted, narrowing her eyes angrily. "As far as I'm concerned, I have no reason to feel happy. My mom is dead and I have a lying, deceiving step-dad who did nothing, for that matter. I'm stuck in this stupid, godforsaken town and I have _you _who seem to think that you can make it all okay. Well, guess what? Not everything can be healed. Sometimes…sometimes hearts will stay broken forever."

Silence followed Bella's outburst. She stared at him, waiting for a response. She hoped she had finally gotten through to him and that maybe now he'd stop trying to help her and instead leave her the hell alone. That was all she wanted.

However what he said next puzzled her. It was a simple question, yet one she found very hard to answer.

"How?" Jasper asked softly, lifting his head and staring deeply into her eyes.

Could Bella allow herself to say it out loud? Did she have the courage to let him know what happened? Maybe if she said it once, just once, she wouldn't have to say it ever again. Perhaps once was all it took for everything to fall back into place.

And so finally, Bella said it. Out loud. And enclosed in her answer were all the pain, suffering and torment that came with it.

"My…my mom was diagnosed with cancer," Bella whispered brokenly, fresh tears soon welling up in her eyes. "The doctor said that if she started chemotherapy right away she'd have a good chance of surviving. I was so confident that she was going to live. I visited her in the hospital every day, but my step-dad, Phil…he became more distant. He rarely visited the hospital, and whenever he did he never stayed for long. One day, when I came back from school I saw…"

Clenching her hands into fists, Bella stared hard past Jasper's shoulder and continued angrily. "I saw him with another woman. He _cheated _on my mom while she was dying. _While she was dying. _He told me that he was scared of being alone, but that he loved my mother very much. I didn't believe him. I _never _believed him."

With tears swiftly consuming her face Bella barely noticed Jasper move closer, nor did she care when he wrapped her quivering body in his warm, comforting embrace. Choked with sobs she continued to speak, not even thinking about what to say anymore. It was all pouring out, free at last. The weirdest part? Bella's shoulder felt lighter, as if a burden was just beginning to lift. Free at last…

"When my mother found out about Phil it was like she just gave up. What my step-father did killed her. _Literally. _If he had stayed loyal to her, if he had visited her every day like me and loved her all along, she would've fought harder knowing that he still loved her. She would still be alive if he had only been faithful. I hate him for betraying us like that. I _hate him._"

Tangling his fingers in her hair, Jasper pulled her head into the nape of his neck and let her weep. He felt the over-whelming need to protect her surge through him and with a soft sigh he held her tighter and lightly kissed her wet, glistening cheek. _I'm so sorry…_he wanted to say; although he knew the words would be useless the moment they left his mouth. _I wish I could take away all of your pain and make it my own…I would do anything to make you happy._

Instead, he kept asking her questions. Question after question he watched the truth reveal itself right before his eyes. He learned many things about her then: how she thought she hadn't been good enough to keep her mother alive and if she hadn't been strong enough for that what good would she be to anyone else? He discovered that she blamed herself every day for her mother's death, and carrying that burden on her shoulder had transformed her into a whole different person. She wasn't the same Bella she'd been before her mother was diagnosed with cancer – happy, care-free and filled with the quenching need to live her life.

How could he possibly give all that back to her?

With a suddenly strong, fierce determination, Jasper lifted her chin and murmured softly, "Let me show you something…I promise you'll like it."

She nodded once and he quickly took her hand, guiding her towards another horse's stall. "Stay here," he told her, and then walked inside.

Soon he came out leading a beautiful white mare. "This is Sweet Thing," he told Bella, adding gently, "She's not aggressive like old Hammer." With that being said, he cross-tied the mare inside the barn and quickly began to brush her down.

"Do you want to try?" he asked Bella kindly, holding up one of the curry combs.

"I…I guess," Bella replied uncertainly, taking a hesitant step forward.

Jasper smiled and placed the comb correctly in her hand before gently laying the comb on the horse's side. "Now with this kind of comb you brush in circles, like this." Leaning forward, he allowed his fingers to fall in between hers as he demonstrated, their hands moving together slowly in repeated circles.

Bella turned her head to look at him, her breath catching in her throat when she realized just how close they really were. She could feel the warmth of their body's proximity and for the briefest moment she almost had the urge to-

"Well," Jasper said suddenly, quickly snapping her out of it. "I think you know how to do it now. Shall we saddle her up?"

"S-sure…" Bella stammered quietly, wondering what had gotten into her. These feelings that she had around Jasper, they were totally alien. She could barely comprehend any of them, yet when she looked at Jasper, especially in the eyes, she didn't feel the need to. They were just there.

By the time they finished putting on all of the equipment the sun had reached its highest peak, spreading rays of golden sunlight into the holes of the barn ceiling. Taking an easy, effortless leap onto the back of the saddle, Jasper glanced down at Bella and offered a hand.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm going to be sitting up _front_?" Bella eyed the saddle distrustfully.

"Yeah, it'll be okay. I won't let you fall," Jasper promised, gazing down at her with an encouraging smile. Bella glanced up at his hand and without a second of hesitation she grabbed it and clumsily pulled herself up. Almost immediately she was on top of the horse with Jasper's arms wrapped snugly around her waist.

"There, see? It's not so bad," Jasper whispered next to her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"Wow, it's so…_high,_" Bella observed, glancing down and then quickly back up again.

Jasper chuckled. "You'll get used to it. Now, are you ready?"

"Um…"

"Here we go." Clicking his tongue, Jasper gave a gentle tap with his heels, and with a soft nicker Sweet Thing stepped forward, walking straight out of the barn.

Bella gasped and Jasper's arms tightened around her. "It's okay," he murmured. "If you feel like you're going to fall squeeze with your legs. It won't hurt the horse one bit."

As they headed up the trail Bella slowly began to fall into the horse's rhythm. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as they rode. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before; why hadn't she wanted to ride sooner?

_Because I didn't know it would be like…this._

It was so peaceful. The sun shone through the branches of the trees, shedding rays of golden sunlight onto the ground. Closing her eyes, Bella could feel the warmth of the sun on her face and the soft breeze as it brushed against her skin. Letting her muscles relax, Bella leaned against Jasper's chest and allowed herself to simply enjoy the moment.

Soon they were at the top of an extremely steep precipice. Hopping off the horse, Jasper ground tied Sweet Thing to an old tree stump and then helped Bella off the saddle.

"Where are we?" she inquired curiously, surprising herself by not breaking away from his touch after he had taken her hand.

"Just look," Jasper said quietly, leading her to the very edge of the cliff.

She looked out…and was stunned into silence.

Vast mountains, as far as she could see, reached as high as the sky with snow-capped tops. Endless, trickling streams flowed through the valleys, and if she looked far enough she could see a gushing waterfall cascading down into a brilliant pool of water. Bella's breath caught in her throat as she surveyed the sight.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, continuing to gaze at the landscape with wide, wandering eyes. "I've never seen anything like it."

Smiling softly, Jasper stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "_You're _beautiful," he murmured in her ear, taking her completely off guard. "This, Bella…this could be _you. _All you need to do is let go…leave the past behind you. Because what you have right in front of you…" Jasper glanced towards the mountains and added quietly, "…it's waiting for you to grab and take hold. Don't push this away Bella, because this…this is far too good to waste."

Speechless, Bella glanced once more towards the mountains and for the first time in months she felt a tiny spurt of hope grow within her. For the first time she could see what Jasper was trying to tell her. All of this could be hers if she just let it. She could become happy again if she just _let go_.

"Let go," Jasper whispered, echoing her thoughts. She turned her head to look at him and could finally see the care and compassion for her gleaming in his beautiful amber eyes. "Let go and you'll be home free."

_Home free…_

Her mother's voice filled her mind and drew a smile to her lips. _Here is your opportunity_, she could almost hear her mother telling her, _now is the time to take it_.

And in pressing her mouth to Jasper's, the whole world spinning the moment their lips touched, that was exactly what she did.

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**You all are wonderful, thank you so much for your reviews. This chapter is one of my favorites, I hope you enjoyed it. :)**


	8. A Rotten Ninnyhammer

"_It is difficult to know at what moment love begins; it is less difficult to know that it has begun."_

**Henry Wadsworth Longfellow**

Chapter Seven

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Bella hadn't been sure what to expect when she had leaned forward and kissed him. _Jasper, _the cowboy she couldn't stand when she had arrived at the ranch. She had never thought about kissing him until now, in this moment. And in the highest of her expectations she assumed it would be nice; pleasing, even. But this?

Never this.

Warmth flooded from her face to the very tip of her toes. The world itself stopped and then spun wildly out of control. Her mind went completely blank, and her heart…

Her heart had never pounded so much, had never increased its rate so rapidly in a single moment as their lips collided, bursting forth a series of strange, gratifying sensations that sent Bella's whole entire body kindling at his touch.

No, she wasn't kindling, Bella realized as Jasper placed one of his strong, rugged hands on her waist and the other on her cheek.

_She had already ignited._

And it was the most wonderful feeling on earth. Bella didn't want it to stop as she lifted her arms and wrapped them around Jasper's neck, pulling him closer to her flying wayward heart which pounded so rampantly inside her chest.

After a few deep, burning kisses the two broke apart and stared at each other silently in careful inquisition.

_What just happened? _Bella thought in immediate shock, staring at Jasper with a look of awe on her pale, dazzled face. _Did I just kiss…Jasper?_

She couldn't believe she had done that. Out of all the senseless, idiotic things she could have done she just _had t_o make a complete fool out of her-

"Wow," Jasper remarked, the corner of his lips twitching slightly. "That was…interesting," he drawled slowly, lifting his hand and giving his head a brief scratch.

_Interesting?_

Bella raised an eyebrow and then with a playful roll of her eyes socked him in the arm. "Interesting my ass!" she exclaimed, watching as several set of emotions played out across his face.

First, pain. Second, a slight trace of alarm. Third?

Bella screamed as Jasper reached out and unexpectedly tackled her sides. Air _whooshed _out of her lungs as he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder, spinning them around near the edge of the cliff.

"Jasper! _Don't!_" Bella sputtered between wails of laughter. "_We're going to fall!"_

Grinning, Jasper stopped and allowed her to slide down halfway, letting her hang there in his warm, enduring embrace. He gazed softly into her wide, startled eyes and murmured huskily, "Not if I can help it."

Bella's heart fluttered as she felt Jasper's hard, lean body pressed rather intimately against her mid-section. Gulping nervously, she lowered her gaze to his chest and blinked in embarrassment.

"So, um…thanks for showing me this. You-I mean, _this_, is truly amazing," Bella murmured.

Jasper smiled, and simply the sight of him doing so caused her blood pressure to rise. _Calm down Bella, _she chided herself, wondering why she was freaking out. She _had _been held by a guy before, so this was really nothing new. But still…with him everything felt so atypical.

Jasper's teasing, amicable voice immediately snapped her out of her thoughts. "Earth to Bella…"

"Sorry, what?" Bella questioned, kicking herself mentally in the head for not paying attention. Stupid hormones.

"I said we should probably head back. I need to start working with some of the horses."

"Oh." Bella tried to hide her disappointment as they began walking back to Sweet Thing, who had happily made herself at home in the shade of a tall sycamore tree. "Hey girl," she murmured affectionately, patting Sweet Thing's neck and smiling when the mare let out a gentle nicker.

"She's definitely lived up to her name," Bella remarked, glancing down at Jasper as he started to untie the horse. Once he was done, he hopped onto Sweet Thing's back and offered Bella a hand.

"Wanna hear the story of her birth?" Jasper asked as he easily pulled Bella up into the saddle. He wrapped his arms around her waist and then clicked his tongue softly. Sweet Thing stopped grazing and obediently started back on the trail.

"Sure," Bella replied, trying to ignore the butterflies that had immediately erupted inside her belly the second Jasper's hands had fallen to her sides. Instead she did her best to focus on the story…she honestly _was _curious about it.

"Well, her mother Minuet was always a fierce little thing…still is, actually. Charlie always had the plan of breeding her, but he wasn't sure which stallion would be the best match to suit her fiery personality. He didn't want a real crazy stallion, because well, you know how those are."

"Crazy?" Bella guessed and rolled her eyes.

Jasper chuckled. "You got it. Anyways, several years ago Charlie bought this one stallion that was literally the craziest stallion I have _ever _come across in my whole entire life. He was beautiful too. Stark black with one small white marking on his forehead that looked like…" Trailing off, he smirked. "You'll never guess."

Bella bit down softly on her lip and took a shot in the dark. "Hmm…a heart?"

"Damn, you're good."

She laughed. "Shut up and continue the story, I'm engrossed."

"You're gross?" Jasper said incredulously, his tone light and playful.

"_Jasper._'

"Right. Where was I? Oh yeah. So your Pop decided to put Blackjack in the stall beside Minuet, and you'll never guess what happened."

Bella groaned and exclaimed, "Enough with the guessing already!"

Jasper grinned. "Okay, I'll just lay it on you. Minuet stuck her head over his stall and nickered. That's _major _considering how extremely temperamental she was…you know old Hammer? Well she was literally ten times worse than him."

Bella grimaced. "Lovely."

Jasper continued on. "Your Pop knew right away that they were meant to be. I mean, it wasn't every day that Minuet nickered and in a _friendly _way, might I add. So he took the daring risk and bred them. Once it was time for Minuet to give birth out popped Sweet Thing who had the _exact _same colorings as her mama. By that time your Pop started gettin' concerned, thinkin' we were gonna have another crazy mare at the ranch. You wanna know how Charlie knew Sweet Thing wasn't the same?"

"Enlighten me," Bella replied, listening curiously.

"When Minuet was born Charlie walked right up to her to scratch her muzzle and she nipped him, drawin' blood and everything. But when he walked up to Sweet Thing she swiped her tongue over his fingers and nickered as sweet as my grandmother's fresh-made jam. And that's how she got her name."

Bella smiled and leaned down to brush her hand against Sweet Thing's neck. "She sure is a sweet little thing," she whispered.

Jasper grunted softly in agreement and murmured, "You two got somethin' in common..."

Wait, he thought she was _sweet?_ The cowboy was out of his freaking mind! Since when had she ever been sweet and to _him _in particular?

Okay, so maybe she had had a couple of weak moments after they had kissed, but that was it. She had never _intentionally _been sweet to him and that was what set her apart from Sweet Thing. Jasper apparently didn't understand that.

"I know what you're thinking," Jasper said the moment they had dismounted inside the barn.

Bella raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"You're thinking that I'm psychotic for calling you sweet and at this very moment are secretly plotting to clog me with a horse shoe in my sleep," Jasper said in a serious, matter-of-fact tone.

Bella stared at him incredulously for several moments before bursting out laughing.

"Where in hell do you think of these things?" Bella cried, exasperated as she slid off Sweet Thing's bridal and hung it on the hook on her stall door.

"Well, not exactly in _hell _per se but perhaps in another place where-"

"Never mind," Bella interrupted, rolling her eyes. "You were right about me thinking you're crazy. But now that you've mentioned clogging…"

Jasper chuckled. "Touché."

There came a deep, annoyed voice from the other side of the barn. "Ahem."

Bella jumped, whirling around and peering over Sweet Thing to see a quite handsome, irritated looking cowboy standing near the entrance of the barn, his stunning hazel eyes gleaming profusely in the sunlight.

"Hey Stace," Jasper greeted the other cowhand with a nod of his head before glancing back over at Bella. "We just got back from a trail ride."

"Aren't you supposed to be working with the stallions?" Stacy inquired, lifting an eyebrow. He walked over to them and flashed Bella a quick heart-melting smile. "Don't worry, I'm not blaming you." He winked at her and gave the horse a couple firm pats on the neck.

"Yeah, I'll head over there just as soon as I finish putting away Sweet Thing's tack," Jasper replied, feeling a little bothered by Stacy's flirtatious behavior towards Bella.

"Bella and I can handle it," Stacy remarked, narrowing his eyes. "You go ahead and get started, Boss is already wondering where you are."

"Boss?" Bella questioned.

"Charlie," Jasper and Stacy replied simultaneously.

Jasper shot the other cowhand an annoyed glance and then gazed at Bella questionably.

"Um…yeah. It's okay Jasper, go ahead. I don't want to get you in trouble with Charlie,_" _Bella replied finally, feeling a bit uncomfortable by the whole situation. Where was all this tension coming from? She certainly hadn't seen Jasper act this way before, so why all of a sudden? Why now?

When Jasper had reluctantly left the barn Bella glanced up and into the startling hazel eyes of the oldest cowhand. He held her gaze steadily for several moments until she felt a bit uneasy and glanced away, back at the horse.

"So, um…what do we do now?" she questioned, desperate to fill the awkward silence that had consumed the barn the moment Jasper had left. Brushing a strand of dark brown hair out of her eyes, she bit down gently on her bottom lip and waited patiently for Stacy to speak.

"Well, first we…take that blanket off."

Without any warning Stacy stepped forward, brushing his front too closely against Bella's backside. He ended up locking her inside his embrace as he reached over with both arms and grabbed the blanket off the horse's back.

Bella's eyes grew wide. _What. The. Hell?_

This was certainly _not_ what she had planned when Stacy had offered to help her put away the equipment. Jeez, what exactly was he intending to do, assault her openly right there in the barn? Definitely not a very smart maneuver if you asked her. He had quite a few bees hovering around in that pea-sized brain of his if he thought that he'd get away with _that _ingenious shenanigan.

"Baby, you feel so good…" Stacy's deep, salacious murmur broke through Bella's thoughts and with eyes blazing like wildfire she whipped around and kneed him hot and heavy in the balls, her heart hammering loudly inside her chest.

"And to think I once thought you were _polite,_" Bella exclaimed hotly, glowering down at the fallen cowhand who was yowling and clutching his manhood. "Rotten jackass, don't you _ever_ touch me again!"

Leaving him on the ground to endure the agony, Bella marched straight out of the barn and into Jasper's arms.

"Bella?" Jasper said urgently, stopping her by placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. Noticing her red face and trembling hands, he lowered his head and asked calmly, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"_Him," _Bella said curtly, pointing her finger angrily in the direction of the barn, "That disgusting, foul-smelling _ninnyhammer_!"

"What did Stacy-did you just say ninnyhammer?"

Fuming silently, Bella crossed her arms and stuck up her chin. "Yes, I did. It means-"

"I know what it means," Jasper said, grinning slowly, "I just never heard it used before. Now, what did Stacy do so that I can kick his ass?"

She started to cool down. "Nothing," Bella said, sighing, "just forget about it, okay? He already got what was coming to him."

Jasper stared at her curiously and asked, "Yeah? How?"

Bella shrugged and began walking towards the house. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she smirked and said, "Let's just say he won't be riding a horse any time soon…"

* * *

**So Stacy turned out to be a jerk. And Jasper got a little jealous..hmm, what does that mean? Review and let me know what you think. :)**

**I'll post the 8th chapter next week! Thanks for reading, guys.**

**~LWS**


	9. Bing Bang Boom!

"_Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes."_

**Oscar Wilde**

Chapter Eight

* * *

After another long, uneventful day at school Bella parked her truck in the driveway and hopped out, slinging her book bag over her shoulder.

She was immediately greeted by Bear who came bounding towards her from the porch steps, barking excitedly. Bella smiled and bent down to scratch him affectionately behind the ears.

"You're such a baby," she cooed, rolling her eyes as he fell against the ground and rolled onto his back, obviously wanting a belly rub.

"Oh, fine," she sighed. Surrendering, she crouched down and began scratching his belly, laughing softly when his big thick tail began to thump back and forth against the ground, causing a small dust cloud to rise.

Bear let out a short, high-pitched whine from the back of his throat the moment she stopped scratching him. Giving him a final pat, Bella stood up and headed towards the barn in search for Jasper. She wanted him to show her how to tack up again so that next time she'd be able to do it herself.

After about ten minutes of looking for him Bella frowned. She couldn't find him anywhere. _Weird, _she thought, wondering where he could possibly be. She checked all of the stalls one last time but no luck. Growing irritated, she glanced over at Sweet Thing who was munching quietly in her stall and bit down gently on her bottom lip.

_Who cares if he's not here? _She suddenly thought, _I'll just go out by myself. _

Grabbing Sweet Thing's bridle from the tack room she walked inside the stall and slipped the reins over the mare's head before placing the bit carefully into her mouth the way Jasper had showed her. Once the bit was inside Bella lifted the headstall with her left hand and with her right, gently pushed Sweet Thing's ears underneath the headstall. After fastening all of the buckles Bella remembered to slip two of her fingers underneath the strap against Sweet Thing's cheek bone, making sure it wasn't too tight.

"There! That wasn't too hard, was it? Ready for a ride, Sweet Thing?" she murmured to the horse, kissing her muzzle. She confidently took the reins and led Sweet Thing out of her stall and into the bright afternoon sunshine.

Since she couldn't quite remember how to tack up Bella decided against doing so and instead chose to ride bareback. She was contemplating how she was going to manage actually getting up _on _the horse when a deep, amused chuckle made her jump.

She whipped around, still holding on tightly to the reins, and blinked through the blinding sunlight to see Sam standing behind her with arms crossed and dark eyebrows slightly raised. He was staring at her, not inappropriately but with a curious, friendly expression on his face.

Bella slowly felt herself relax.

"Need help?" he asked, stepping forward and patting Sweet Thing's neck. He grinned when she started to nuzzle his jean pocket, her ears flicking forward eagerly. Reaching inside the pocket he took out a small carrot. "Smart girl, aren't ya? Well, here ya go." He gave it to her and they both watched as she chewed, her long silver tail swishing back and forth in contentment.

"Um…yeah, I was just wondering how to get up," Bella explained shortly. "She's pretty tall…"

"Well, of course. She's a Thoroughbred," Sam said, gazing at Sweet Thing fondly, "and a darn right beautiful one at that. Here, I'll help you up." He moved behind Bella and added, "Lift your foot on the count of three. One, two…"

Bella was up on top of Sweet Thing in less than a second to spare. Immediate discomfort shot through her as she moved her hips. Bella glanced down and realized for the first time how bony Sweet Thing was.

Her discomfort did not go unnoticed by Sam. Frowning, he lifted his chin and squinted at her through the sun. "You ever ridden bareback before, miss?"

"Um, no, but I thought I'd give it a try," Bella answered, grimacing as she re-positioned herself. She considered telling him that she hadn't ridden by herself _ever _but knew that if she did he most likely wouldn't let her ride. So she smiled at him and kept her mouth shut.

"Okay, well, just be careful. And if it's your first time on bareback I wouldn't have her go into a gallop or anything, not until you're completely comfortable."

Bella nodded. "I'll remember that, thanks."

"You're welcome. Have fun and make sure to be back before dark," Sam called, starting his walk towards the barn.

_Who are you, my Dad? _Bella thought with a roll of her eyes.

Clicking her tongue, she squeezed her legs gently like Jasper had told her to do and smiled when Sweet Thing nickered softly and started walking. _This isn't too bad…_she thought, despite the irritating pain she felt in her thighs. She had a feeling she was going to be a little sore after this…

It wasn't long until they reached the beginning of the trail. The trees swayed lively in the breeze and the dead autumn leaves that had fallen onto the ground rustled in the wind, a few of them drifting across the sandy path. The glowing sunlight that filtered through the branches of the trees fell in several speckled rays onto the ground, tinting it a brilliant shade of gold.

All of it was so mesmerizing and Bella couldn't get enough of it.

And so you could imagine her disappointment when she realized the trail was already taking her back to the ranch. It had only been about thirty minutes. Not quite ready to go back Bella pondered for a moment before finally deciding to lead Sweet Thing away from the trail.

_I won't stray too far from it, _she promised herself. _I'll just go this way for a little bit and then come straight back._

Fifteen minutes later she was lost.

Bella was beginning to panic. It was quickly getting dark and she had absolutely no clue where she was. _Why did I have to leave the trail? _She thought in exasperation. _I'm so stupid! Out of all the foolish, idiotic-_

A sharp whinny from Sweet Thing immediately snapped Bella out of her thoughts. The mare was swinging her head back and forth and prancing around nervously.

"What is it, Sweet Thing?" Bella cooed, bending down and rubbing her neck soothingly. "It's okay, baby girl. I'll get you home soon, I promise."

Bella clicked her tongue again and urged the mare forward with a gentle kick of her heels. Snorting uneasily Sweet Thing took another step forward, followed by another step, until she stopped completely and let out a high-pitched whinny.

"What is it, Sweet Thing?" Bella repeated, glancing around and then up. "What-"

And then she saw it.

It was huge, it was dangerous and it was staring right at her.

All color drained from her face when the cat let out the most loud, horrifying yowl, freezing her heart right in its place. Sweet Thing neighed shrilly and reared up on her hind legs, lashing out at the air frantically with her hooves – in the exact moment Bella screamed.

Sweet Thing shot forward before Bella had the chance to compose herself and before she knew it she was on the ground, rolling again and again as the dust quickly consumed her. When she stopped she could feel the vibration of Sweet Thing's hooves pounding hard against the ground. The sound of them quickly faded away. Coughing, Bella lifted her head slowly and watched in horror as the mountain lion leapt onto the ground from its perch on the tree, stalking towards her with its jaw open to reveal sharp, gleaming fangs.

_Oh God, I'm going to die…_There was no possible way that she was getting out of this alive. Unless…thinking quickly, Bella glanced around frantically and saw a medium-sized rock a couple inches away from her. If she could only grab it before the mountain lion grabbed _her _than perhaps she could hit it hard enough against its head and knock it unconscious.

_Or maybe it will just break the rock in half with its fangs and swallow me whole, _Bella thought. _Okay, no time to be pessimistic. I have got to get that rock…_

She looked back over at the mountain lion and noticed that it was advancing rather quickly. Scooting backwards inconspicuously with one eye still on the lion, she sucked in a deep breath and finally managed to grab a hold of the rock with her hand. _Gotcha._

She didn't have time to think before the lion lunged. Biting back a bloodcurdling scream, Bella lifted the rock and was just about to knock it against the mountain lion's head when-

_BANG!_

The lion collapsed onto the ground beside her feet, forever immobile. Bella blinked at the huge animal that was now dead, utterly shocked to the bone, and slowly lifted her head to gaze at the person who had undoubtedly saved her life.

One word escaped her lips before her head fell to the ground and she was enveloped by blackness.

"…_Jasper_."

* * *

**A/N: I'm really sorry, I'm a writer who _loves _cliffhangers, haha. But at least I don't use them all the time. ;) Anyways, I know some of you are anxious to see the reactions of Jessica and Bella's friends when they find out about her and Jasper (except for my 2nd time readers who already know)...don't worry, that's coming up soon! In fact we're already halfway through the story (there's only about 8 more chapters left, including the epilogue), so hang with me. ****Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know your thoughts. :)  
**

**~LWS  
**

_Random fact #1: Did you know that "Bing Bang Boom" was actually an album title of the__ country music band **Highway 101**__ back in the early 1990s? Yeah, I know. Fascinating (or...not?)_**  
**

_Random fact #2: I just realized this, but some of you might have been reading along and thinking to yourself, "What the heck is a headstall?" Well for those who are wondering it is the part of the bridle that surrounds the top of the horse's head. Hope that cleared up some confusion. And to all the horse people out there who already knew what it meant, you deserve a high five. Or better yet, a cookie. So eat one.  
_

_Random fact #3: Reviews make me smile. And hop. And giggle. And dance. And...yeah, you get the gist. Haha. Till next time, my lovely readers!  
_


	10. The Healing Heart

_"The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love."_

**Hubert H. Humphrey**

Chapter Nine

* * *

_Voices._

She could hear voices. Faintly, but they were there.

"Is she going to be okay?" Bella heard a worried voice ask – a soft but masculine voice brimmed with concern and…was that guilt?

"She'll be fine, don't worry Jasper. She'll need stitches for that cut on her forehead and her ankle might be sore for a while but other than that she should recover quickly," came a deeper, confident voice that she immediately recognized to be her father's. Relief flooded through her and slowly she started coming back to her senses.

That was when she felt the pain.

It felt like she was covered in bruises from head to toe and not only that but her head was throbbing. Was it normal to be in this much pain? Or maybe it was simply her imagination. She had read on the internet once about how the brain could psychologically trick one into thinking they were in pain. Well at the moment Bella seriously doubted that concept was working because her brain was too preoccupied hammering away in its attempt to drive her literally insane.

"Bella?" The same gentle, concerned voice called out to her but with a turn of her head she pushed it away and let out a groan.

"Bella!" The voice was closer this time and soon she felt a familiar pair of warm, rough hands grasp hers. With a start her eyes flung open.

A flash of bright light hit her eyes instantly and with another groan she closed them again.

"Bella it's me, Jasper," he murmured softly, lightly squeezing her hand. "Are you in pain?"

_Hmm, let me think about that, _she thought to herself sarcastically. The corner of her lips curved downward into a frown and she scrunched her face into a grimace.

"I'm guessing that's a yes," he said with a slight chuckle.

She heard her father question, "Bella, how do you feel?", and an irritable sigh escaped her lips.

_Like you should leave me alone and let me rest. _She cocked her eyebrow in annoyance.

"I think we should just let her rest a little bit more…" Jasper told Charlie, glancing down at Bella's face with a worried frown. "She'll talk once she feels up to it."

_Yes! Thank you! _Bella exclaimed inside her mind, mentally thanking Jasper for being so amazingly understanding. She waited silently for her father's response.

"I guess you're right," Charlie grumbled, sounding a bit uncertain. However after a couple of moments she heard his feet start to shuffle towards the door. "I'll be in the kitchen," he added, before opening and closing the door to what was most likely Bella's bedroom.

Silence followed soon after and Bella wondered what Jasper was doing. Staring at her? Bella thought about that for a moment and immediately decided she didn't like that - talk about _majorly _awkward.

And then out of the blue he did something not so awkward. In fact after saving her life from the cougar she might have even called it _sweet_.

He leaned forward with his hand still placed on top of hers and kissed her cheeks, both of them. Following that was a kiss to her forehead and by that time her lips were positively aching for his. But instead of giving her what she wanted he caressed one of her cheeks gently with the back of his hand and kept it there for a couple moments before turning to head towards the door.

_No! _Bella peeked her eye open to stare at Jasper's back. _Don't go…please._

When he left, the door shutting softly behind him, Bella closed her eyes and sunk deeper underneath the covers. She wished that Jasper was still standing next to her, holding her hand and whispering to her that everything was going to be okay. And that he was here for her unlike her stepfather, Phil, who betrayed them all; or her mother, Renee, who left her to face this world alone and afraid.

With this last thought drifting through her mind Bella cried herself to sleep, the silent tears falling from her eyes and staining her cheeks as she slipped once more into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Jasper, I am perfectly capable of walking down the stairs by myself," Bella complained, flashing the over-protective cowboy an annoyed glance. She stood on top of the stairwell, her hand gripping the railing securely as she began her descent.

"Bella, your ankle is still a bit sore, it's best if I carry you," Jasper persisted, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist.

Bella bit back a groan. "The doctor said that putting a little weight on it will be good for it. Stop being such a worry-wart, I'm _fine." _Bumping him off with her hip Bella started down the stairs, keenly aware of Jasper's close presence right behind her.

Ever since the doctor had told her that it was okay to get out of bed Jasper had stuck to her side twenty-four seven, helping her in just about every way possible. Despite the flattery she felt for having him care about her so much it was still embarrassing to have him around all the time. She was used to being independent and doing everything herself.

Once she made it all the way down Bella flashed him a triumphant grin. "There, told you I could do it."

"Good. Now sit down."

Bella narrowed her eyes. "I've been sitting down for _ages. _Can't we go outside? I want to see Sweet Thing and Lucky." _I miss them, _she thought with a sigh.

"Only if you let me carry you," Jasper compromised.

Bella nearly growled, "Fine."

Grinning, Jasper scooped her up easily into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and then made the mistake of glancing up into his eyes – his deep, passionate golden eyes that pierced straight through her soul. Her breath caught in her throat and for a moment she could barely breathe as they stared heatedly at each other, her heart racing about a mile a minute.

"Bella," he whispered huskily after a long moment and before she could register what was happening his head lowered and his smooth, hard mouth melted onto hers.

A hungry moan escaped her lips as the gentle kiss suddenly became more demanding. He slanted his mouth eagerly against hers, parting her lips with the tip of his tongue before slipping it inside, seeking the hot sweetness of her mouth. She pressed closer against his chest, shuddering as his hands reached upward to tangle his fingers inside her hair. She tipped her head back as he trailed his lips from her mouth down to her neck, planting warm, passionate kisses onto her soft, delicate skin in a way that made it seem he couldn't get enough.

A loud, amused cough stopped them abruptly and they both jerked away to see Jake standing behind the screen door, staring at them with a wide comical grin on his face.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Jake wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "Bella and…Jasper?"

Jasper shot the younger cowhand a warning glance. "Mind your own damn business, Jake."

"No need to act rude, man." He glanced over at Bella and winked suggestively at her, "Are you sure he's the one you want? Maybe you should kiss me and see-"

"_Jake," _Jasper growled.

"All right, all right! Sheesh, I was just letting the girl know that she had options. You're not the only cowboy on this ranch, you know."

"Don't make me get out my shot gun."

Jake snorted. "Oh yeah, _now _I'm afraid."

"Guys!" Bella exclaimed, unable to contain her grin. "Stop acting like a bunch of idiots, I want to see the horses."

"We will, just as soon as Jake moves his fat ass out of the way so I can get through," Jasper muttered.

"Jasper," Bella scolded.

"Sorry," Jasper said with a smirk, "I meant to say his _skinny _ass."

Jake threw his head back and roared. Bella just shook her head, sighed, and mouthed _men._

Once they had made it to the barn Jasper let Bella down and walked her slowly over towards Sweet Thing's stall. The mare, munching on a pile of hay, lifted her head and greeted them with a soft, friendly nicker.

"Sweet Thing!" Bella reached out and smoothed her hand over the mare's neck, grinning from ear to ear. "I've missed you, girl. I'm sorry it took so long for me to visit you. Has Jasper been giving you apples like I've promised?"

Sweet Thing bobbed her head up and down and let out a high-pitched whinny. Giggling, Bella gave her a big kiss on the muzzle and murmured, "I'm glad you're okay, Sweet Thing. It would've been horrible if that cougar had gotten you."

_Or me, _Bella thought, shuddering inwardly. She glanced over at Jasper, feeling grateful for the millionth time that he had saved her in the nick of time. He seemed to sense this, because suddenly his arms were around her in a warm, comforting embrace.

"You scared the shit out of me Bella," he whispered, tilting her chin up with his thumb to stare straight into her eyes. "What made you do such a stupid thing as to go off the trail? That was foolish and dangerous, Bella. What if I hadn't had found you?"

"But you _did," _Bella said, "that's all that matters."

Jasper shook his head. "You could've _died _Bella. That rock you had wouldn't have knocked him out and you know it."

Bella's eyes flashed angrily. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was stupid, I admit it. I'll never go off the trail again."

"Like hell you will." Jasper's strong, lean arms tightened around her small frame, pulling her close against him. Eyes softening, he leaned his forehead against hers and murmured, "I care about you, Bella. And more than anything, I want you safe."

The corner of Bella's lips lifted slightly into a smile and with a sigh she nestled comfortably against his chest. "I care about you too, Jasper," she whispered, all trace of anger gone from her eyes. She never managed to stay mad at Jasper for long, she realized.

Her cheeks flamed with heat when she noticed the tender expression that appeared on the cowboy's face. Turning her head away, she said quickly, "Lucky. I want to see Lucky."

Slowly they made their way over to the foal's stall. Bella's eyes lit up with excitement the moment she saw him. "Hey there, boy," she crooned and smiled when he let out a loud, happy neigh. She patted his neck when he swung it over the side of the stall, his black beady eyes gazing affectionately at her.

"I've missed you," Bella whispered and he nickered softly, nudging her hand with his muzzle as if saying '_Right back atcha!' _She buried her head into his mane and stayed that way for several moments before breaking away and giving him a loving kiss on the nose.

"I'll come back later," she promised and turned around to face Jasper.

He smiled at her and asked, "Ready to go back?"

"Let's sit out for a while," Bella suggested and he grunted softly in agreement.

Once they were out of the barn Jasper lifted her up in his arms and carried her up a hill where they sat down together in the grass and looked down on the ranch. Bella leaned against him and lifted her head to gaze up at the sun that was beginning to set, spreading rays of orange, red and yellow light across the green rolling hills.

"It's beautiful," Bella murmured, awed by the stunning landscape. She had never seen such a magnificent sunset before in all her life. She turned to look at Jasper and saw that he was staring at her.

"What?" she whispered.

"You," Jasper said simply, reaching out to caress her cheek lightly with his hand, "and the way you look right now."

"And how do I look right now?"

It took a moment for Jasper to respond, and when he did Bella's whole body froze and her lips parted in shock.

"You look like you've finally begun to heal."

She stared at him thoughtfully for quite some time before a smile slowly lit up her face. "You know what?"

Returning her gaze to the dying sun she reached out and took Jasper's hand.

"I think you're right."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay in posting this, I was having some computer issues. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think. :)**

**~LWS**


	11. Rumor Has It

"_Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile."_

**Taylor Swift**

* * *

Chapter Ten

Bella high-tailed it towards her classroom and sputtered a multitude of oaths under her breath after checking the time on her watch. She was fifteen minutes late thanks to her old alarm clock that had somehow refused to wake her up this morning. To make matters worse Mr. Burns wasn't the most patient man when it came to tardies, let alone anything. Bella dreaded walking into the room and meeting his hard, scrutinizing gaze.

As she approached the door to the classroom Bella sighed and rested her hand on the handle. _Well, here goes nothing, _she thought with a quick grimace and opened the door.

The moment she stepped inside all heads turned to stare at her. Mr. Burns, on the other hand, continued to write on the blackboard. Without turning his head he said, "Well hello Ms. Swan, how charming of you to finally decide to join us."

Blushing, Bella rushed to explain. "Er, sorry Mr. Burns, my alarm-"

"No need to make up an excuse, Bella. Please, take a seat. Your classmates were just about to split into groups to discuss each other's answers over the last assignment."

Bella quickly went to sit in her usual spot near the back, mentally cursing her alarm clock for about the millionth time that morning. After she had sat down the class finally turned their attention back to Mr. Burns, much to her relief.

"All right, now that _everyone _is present, you may start looking over each other's answers," Mr. Burns announced and sat down in his chair with a slight huff.

"Isn't he pleasant?" Eric said cheerfully from beside her.

Bella turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, very," she replied sarcastically.

Angela swiveled around in her seat in front of Bella and stated quite seriously, "I actually think he's sort of handsome." She glanced at Bella and then to Jessica adding, "Don't you think?"

"_What?_" Jessica exclaimed, looking positively appalled. "_Ew! _Angela, Mr. Burns is like…forty years old. That is _so_ gross."

"So?" Angela shrugged. "I still think he's attractive."

"Mr. Burns is _not _attractive," Jessica remarked firmly, "_Jasper Hale _is attractive."

Angela rolled her eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses. "Again with Jasper Hale! Seriously Jessica, we already know how obsessed you are with him, we don't need a constant reminder."

At Jasper's name Bella glanced up from her notebook, suddenly curious.

"Whatever," Jessica said, turning her attention to Bella. "You agree with me, don't you Bella?"

Bella bit down on her lip. "Uh, well…he certainly has some pleasant attributes."

Jessica snorted and said, "Don't be so modest, Bella. Do you think he's hot or not?"

"Um, yeah…I do."

Jessica beamed triumphantly. "Hah! See, Angela? I'm not the only one who thinks he's a total hunk."

"Oh, just shut up and sleep with him already," Eric joked with a grin.

Bella instantly felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. Tightening her grip on her pencil she glanced over at Jessica casually.

"Oh, trust me Eric, one day I _will,_" Jessica shot at him, crossing her arms across her chest with a smirk.

Bella's eyes flashed indignantly and without thinking she turned to Jessica and said, "I don't think that will be any day soon. I heard he was dating someone."

Jessica gasped in surprise. "What? He's dating someone? _Who?"_

Her loud demand caused several people in the room to turn and stare at them in annoyance.

"Is there a problem, Jessica?" Mr. Burns questioned, glancing up from the papers on his desk.

"No, Mr. Burns," Jessica replied politely despite looking visibly upset.

"Very well. Continue on."

Jessica lowered her voice this time and demanded once more to Bella, "_Who _is Jasper dating?"

Bella shifted uncomfortably in her seat and gave a slight shrug. "Someone not from here," she replied. She thought, _well, that's not exactly a lie, really._

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "Oh come on, that's not all you've got, is it?"

_It's all you need to know, _Bella wanted to say, but instead she glanced back down at her notebook and stated carefully, "It's all I can tell you."

Jessica sighed dramatically and said, "Well, I'll tell you this – by the end of the day I fully intend to know all about Jasper and this new "girlfriend" of his. I bet it's just some stupid rumor going around."

"Okay, now that we've wasted about five minutes talking about Jasper_,_" Angela said in irritation, "Can we please go over our answers?"

As her friends began discussing the assignment Bella sunk down further in her seat and closed her eyes. _Oh God, what have I done? _Even as she thought this she knew - she knew e_xactly _what she had done.

In the last couple of weeks she had grown closer to Jasper; close enough that she was actually beginning to feel _jealous _at the mere thought of him sleeping with another girl. How could she have let this happen?

She didn't _want t_o feel this way.

She didn't _want _to grow close to anyone.

And she certainly _did not want _Jasper Hale.

…or did she?

* * *

After lunch Bella headed to her locker to switch out her books. The moment she walked around the corner she stopped dead in her tracks and felt her throat run dry.

Jasper was waiting for her, leaning against her locker casually with his hands tucked in the front pockets of his faded blue jeans. He looked dashingly handsome as always, wearing a red and black plaid shirt that wasn't quite tucked all the way in. His dirty blond hair looked tousled, as if he had ran his hand through it just a moment before.

He spotted her immediately and flashed a wide, charming grin.

Her heart began to pound hard against her chest and for a second Bella could scarcely breathe.

A moment passed and she forced herself to close the space between her and the cowboy despite her mind screaming to turn and run the other way.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper greeted her warmly, "How's your day going?"

"It's going just splendidly," Bella replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Anything special happen?"

"Oh no, nothing…special," Bella answered tentatively, being careful not to meet his gaze. Instead she stared down at the books in her hands. "But you might want to know something," she added, biting her bottom lip.

"What's that?"

"Uh, well…let's just say that, hypothetically, you're dating someone."

Jasper blinked and stared at Bella, looking utterly perplexed. "Well, all right…who_ hypothetically_ might I be dating?"

Bella blushed, digging herself into an even deeper hole. Still not meeting his suspicious gaze she faltered and said, "Um, someone not from…around here?"

Jasper took a step closer and lowered his head, murmuring, "And is this hypothetical girl I'm dating as gorgeous as you?"

Bella made the mistake of lifting her head and staring into his eyes. The moment their gazes locked Bella knew she was in deep, deep trouble.

Jasper whispered her name softly, causing chills to run up and down her spine, before leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips.

_Red alert! Red alert!_

Gasping, Bella turned her head away and lifted her Chemistry book in front of her face. "No, Jasper!" she hissed quietly, "Please, don't."

Jasper raised his head and stared down at her in confusion. "What's wrong, darlin'?"

"Can you please not call me that?" Bella pleaded, risking a glance at him from over her book. "And stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" he drawled, smirking knowingly.

"Like you're about to try and kiss me again," Bella replied, feeling her cheeks flush with heat.

"And what would be wrong with that?" Jasper questioned.

Bella sighed in exasperation. "Look, Jasper, as much as I regretfully enjoy your company I really need to go to class." And as if right on cue the bell rang loud and clear above their heads.

Bella pointed to her locker. "Now, if you could please move aside, I r_eally _need to get my books."

"Do you have issues with public affection?" Jasper asked curiously, deliberately ignoring her request.

"What? _No. _Jasper, I swear if you do not move your flat ass out of the way right this instant I'm going to smack you," Bella warned, annoyance clearly evident in her tone.

Jasper stared at her in astonishment, still standing solidly in front of her locker. "Did you just call my ass _flat_?"

"Would you rather I have called it fat?" Bella shot, sounding quite angry with him. "Honestly, Jasper! _Move._"

Finally Jasper took a step aside and watched silently as she yanked her locker door open, threw her books in, grabbed new ones and slammed the door shut. With an aggravated huff, Bella whirled around to face him.

"Forget what I said a minute ago, okay? It's nothing. I'll see you at the ranch."

And with that said Bella headed to her next class, leaving a very bewildered cowboy standing in her wake.

* * *

**Tsk tsk that Bella is stubborn, don't you think? And poor Jasper, getting rejected. But no worries, he'll step up soon... ;)**

**Next chapter will be longer, around 2400 words. Hope you enjoyed this one, feel free to leave a review.**

**~LWS**


	12. Passion and Jealousy

_"A kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition."_

**Clare Whiting**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

It was a beautiful day in Cody despite the obvious frigid temperatures. The sky was brilliantly clear and the blue seemed to stretch on forever above Wyoming's staggering mountain peaks.

Surprisingly Bella had started getting used to the icy cold, although by no means had she begun to enjoy it. In the last few weeks she had put on more clothes than she ever had in _years. _It was absolutely ridiculous and she fiercely missed those nice summer days when she could just lay out on a chair and bask in the warm, afternoon sunshine.

Oh, how she couldn't wait until spring came around.

Wrapping a bright red scarf around her neck, Bella gazed at herself in the full length mirror and decided that she might as well wear a hat as well. Choosing a nice knitted cap, she slipped it on her head and then headed out of her room, eager to see the horses again.

Ever since coming to Wyoming Bella had discovered a hidden love for horses. She had never really thought of herself as a horse kind of person but after hanging around them the past couple of weeks she had begun to realize what beautiful and amazing creatures they were.

And of course she had a soft spot for Lucky. The red bay colt was stealing her heart more and more with each passing day. Honestly she couldn't help but smile at the thought of the little guy.

Grabbing a small apple from the kitchen counter Bella dashed out the door and headed straight to the barn, not even grimacing this time when she felt the piercing wind slap against her face.

As she approached the barn she noticed one of the cowhands throwing out some bales of hay from the hayloft. She stopped and looked up, trying to figure out who it was. They all looked the same to her - big, tall, and manly; except for Jasper.

Not that he wasn't tall or manly or anything, but he had a certain distinct look about him, a different kind of presence than the others. When he walked, he walked with a quiet dignity, and that same dignity showed in his eyes. He wasn't just simply handsome, Bella decided pursing her lips. He was literally breathtaking.

"Hey! You!"

Bella snapped out of her thoughts and glanced back up again, recognizing immediately who it was after noticing his long shaggy hair blowing in the wind.

Bella waved, "Hi, Jacob."

"You mind coming up here and helping me out? I have a lot of hay to toss."

Bella blinked, knowing right away what a _bad _idea that would be. She and heights didn't get along _at all._

"Um, isn't there someone else that could help? Like another cowhand, maybe?" Bella questioned hopefully.

"No, they're off doing their own thing and the one who was _supposed _to help me bailed."

Bella tilted her head and said teasingly, "He bailed on tossing bales?"

Jacob grinned down at her and crossed his arms. "Hey, you're funny!"

Bella shrugged. "I try."

"Well, would you mind trying to help me up here?" He raised an eyebrow.

Bella sighed, knowing that she couldn't get out of this one. "Okay, I'm coming up."

Walking into the barn Bella glanced around, wondering how she was supposed to get up to the loft. She had never even been in a barn before coming to Wyoming so this was definitely all new to her. Bella was just about to turn around and ask Jacob how exactly she was supposed to get up when she heard his voice from right above her.

"Climb the ladder beside you."

Bella turned and immediately saw the ladder he was talking about. Biting her lip softly Bella started climbing. Once she had reached the top Jacob reached out a hand to pull her up.

"Thanks." Bella took it and suddenly found herself at the very top floor of the barn. _Oh my, _she thought, glancing around with wide eyes. There was so much hay! They had to toss all of _this_?

"Um, Jacob?" Bella said tentatively.

"Yeah? And you can call me Jake."

"Well Jake, um…there might be a small problem."

"Hmm?"

"As much as I would thoroughly enjoy helping you with these bales I highly doubt my measly arms would be okay with the ordeal."

Jake let out a laugh. "Don't worry Bella; we're not throwing down all of them, only a few. And if you get tired you can stop. No worries, 'kay?"

_Yeah, no worries, _Bella thought, rolling her eyes.

"You can start with that one," Jake said, pointing to a fairly small sized hay bale to her right.

Inhaling a quick breath Bella stepped forward and grabbed the string that was tied around the bale with both of her hands. Surprisingly it wasn't as heavy as she thought it would be, but it certainly wasn't as light as a feather either.

Bella tottered slowly over to the edge, watching as Jake picked up one of the bigger bales and swung it over with hardly any effort at all. After finally making it to the edge of the loft she carefully put the hay down and shoved it hard with her foot, sending it flying. She watched in satisfaction as the hay bale landed with a _thump _on the ground.

"Hah!" Bella exclaimed, looking quite pleased with herself.

Jake flashed an amused glance at her from over his shoulder as he bent down to pick up another bale. "Congratulations Bella, you have officially kicked your first bale of hay! Now try tossing it next time."

"Um, okay." Glancing around Bella spotted another small sized hay bale nearby and walked over to pick it up. Grabbing the string, she lifted it off the ground and took a couple steps towards the edge. Closing her eyes, she let out a short grunt and swung it with all her might.

There was a sudden curse followed by a loud _thud._

Alarmed, Bella opened her eyes and looked around. She noticed Jake lying on the ground with his back to the floor, a stunned expression on his face.

"Oh, shit!" Bella cried, running frantically over to his side. She lowered herself on her knees and exclaimed in concern, "Jake! Are you all right?"

Jake began to shake. It started with his shoulders and then the trembles quickly traveled down his whole body. Bella's eyes widened and she started to panic. _Oh God, he's having some kind of body malfunction. Should I call 911?_

And then suddenly Jake began to laugh,_ loud_ and _hard_. Bella sighed in relief, her heart beginning to cease its quick, furious pounding.

"Jake, I am _so _sorry," Bella said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I honestly didn't mean to knock you out with the hay bale. My eyes were closed and I just-"

"Your e-eyes were _c-closed_?" Jake managed to sputter between fits of laughter. "What the h-hell Bella?"

"I'm sorry!" Bella apologized, her face turning redder by the second. "It was a mistake."

Finally, Jake began to calm down. Letting out one last chuckle he sat up and brushed off the many strands of hay covering his legs. "It's okay, Bella. Seriously, I'm fine. Don't beat yourself up over it. It was just an accident…a damned funny one."

Bella sighed and stood up. "Maybe I should stop before I seriously hurt someone. Myself included."

"No, no, Bella, it's okay. You're doing fine." Jake stood up and gave her a reassuring slap on the shoulder. "Just a couple more and we'll be done."

"Alright, if you're sure…"

Feeling extremely nervous now, Bella looked around the loft, hoping to find another small bale. Unfortunately the last two she had thrown off had been the smallest. _It's okay, _she assured herself, _I am strong and I am able. I can do this. _Brushing her hands together confidently Bella stepped forward and grabbed the nearest one that was closest to the edge. She lifted it up, gasped, and put it back down. _Holy guacamole, that's heavy! _

"I can do this," she muttered quietly to herself, staring down at the hay bale in determination. Rolling her shoulders back, she bent down and picked it up again, this time with more effort.

Bella took one step forward and then another. She was only one step away from the edge. But as she lifted her foot to take that last step she heard a small squeak and in the very corner of her eye she saw a mouse - scurrying straight towards her.

Bella yelped and dropped the hay bale. She took a couple steps backwards and immediately lost her balance. It wasn't long before she found herself leaning dangerously over the edge of the loft. Another scream ripped from her throat, this one a bit louder and more terrifying than the last.

She closed her eyes and awaited the fall. She was caught by surprise however when a pair of strong, firm hands grabbed her by the waist and yanked her back into the safety of the barn.

Bella stood there in Jacob's arms, shocked to the core.

"Oh god Jake, I almost _died_," she whimpered. _I am never tossing a bale of hay ever again, _she decided, shuddering in Jake's warm embrace.

"Don't be so dramatic, Bella. It's okay."

"You saved my life!"

"Bella, relax. Breathe."

"How can I relax when I almost _died?_"

Rolling his eyes, Jake took a step back and said, "Okay, I think we're done here."

"So we can go back down?"

"Yeah, come on." Gently taking her hand, Jacob led her towards the ladder. "You first," he said once they had approached it.

"Uh, Jake? I don't think my legs are capable of taking me down just yet."

Sighing, Jake turned and without a word swept her up into his arms. Bella gasped softly in surprise and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Jake made a face and murmured, "Bella?"

"Yes?"

"You're cutting off the circulation in my neck."

"Oh. Sorry."

Chuckling, Jacob began to carefully carry her down the ladder. The moment they were on the main floor Jacob turned around and became face to face with-

"Jasper!" Bella exclaimed, not noticing the hard, sullen expression on the cowboy's face. "You will _never _guess what happened!"

"What's that?" he remarked coldly, glaring daggers at Jake.

"I almost fell off the hayloft and _died._"

Jasper snapped his head back at Bella to stare at her in astonishment. "_What? _How?"

"Well, Jake needed help tossing some bales-"

"You asked _her _to help?" Jasper shot at Jacob, glaring fiercely at him. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Look, I'm sorry, I just thought it might do her some good if she helped out a little," Jake explained, glaring back at him. "And by the way, I _did _happen to save her life."

Jasper took a speedy step forward. "Put her down," he demanded quietly, staring hard into Jake's eyes.

Bella blinked, having never before seen Jasper so _angry. _She had to admit it was kind of sexy.

"All right, all right. Jeez, no need to get all pissy," Jake grumbled.

The second Bella was back on her feet Jasper grabbed her hand and swiftly led them away from Jake.

"Jasper, hold up! Where are you taking us?" Bella asked, stumbling behind him. "Jasper, _slow down_."

When he didn't slow down, Bella sighed in exasperation and picked up her pace. They were at the far end of the barn now and as Bella glanced behind her shoulder she noticed that Jake was gone.

Suddenly Jasper stopped and opened a stall door in one quick, impatient motion.

_What the hell? _Bella thought in confusion, right before Jasper pulled her inside and locked the door behind them.

"Jasper, what-"

She didn't get the chance to finish. A soft gasp escaped her lips the moment Jasper claimed her mouth with his own. He pushed her none too gently against the wall, molding his body against hers as he kissed her with a sweet, fiery passion.

Bella's arms reached up to claim the circle around his neck, her heart pounding madly against her chest. She closed her eyes and sank deeper into the kiss, lifting a hand to weave her fingers through his thick golden locks.

Letting out a groan Jasper broke away from her mouth and lowered his head to plant kisses on her neck. She leaned her head back and arched against him, quivering slightly at the touch of his lips as they grazed mercilessly across her smooth, creamy skin.

Jasper slipped one of his hands underneath her sweater and pressed his palm firmly against the small of her back. Soon she felt his fingers begin to fumble with the clasp of her bra and she wondered how far he would go and how far she would let him.

But then his hand was gone and his lips were no longer invading her neck. Bella's eyes fluttered open and she instantly found herself staring into Jasper's stunning amber eyes.

"Jasper?" Bella whispered, wondering why he had stopped. She stared at him, waiting patiently for him to speak.

"Bella, I-I don't know what came over me," Jasper replied, sounding clearly unsettled.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "If you're about to apologize to me, don't. I swear I will leave _right _now-"

"No," Jasper said at once, lifting a hand to affectionately cup her cheek "Why would I ever apologize for kissing you? Don't be ridiculous, Bella."

Bella smiled at him and questioned, "Okay…what's the problem then?"

"Jake."

She raised an eyebrow. "What about Jake?"

"Should I be…concerned about him?"

Okay, now she was _really _confused. "Concerned?"

"About his health," Jasper clarified.

"Why should you or I be concerned about his health?" Bella asked, completely bewildered.

"If he kissed you I'm afraid his health might be at risk."

Bella bit down hard on her lip to keep from bursting out laughing. He was _jealous! _

_Now _she understood what was going on. Smiling, Bella patted Jasper reassuringly on the chest. "Jasper, it's okay. You don't need to feel threatened by him."

"Threatened?"

"Yes, threatened. We didn't kiss and we're not going to, I promise. You can calm down now."

"I _am_ calm," Jasper remarked, blinking at her.

Bella smirked. "You weren't just a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, but-"

"Ssh," Bella pressed a finger to his lips and leaned forward, whispering, "Just shut up and kiss me."

"Yes, ma'am," Jasper drawled.

And in pulling her flat against him that was exactly what he did.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the update. Now I'm gonna go make me a sandwich. =P**

**Later, gators! Reviews are love. :)  
**

**~LWS  
**


	13. Love Is Madness

_"When love is not madness, it is not love."_

**Pedro Calderon de la Barca**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"Jasper, you've got to be kidding me."

"Why would I joke about something like this?"

"Because you know it's not something I would do."

"Spending time with me is not something you'd do?"

Bella let out a loud, exasperated sigh as she threw some of her dirty clothes into the washer. Crossing her arms, she turned to face him. "Jasper, this isn't simply hanging out with you. This requires dressing up, going somewhere and _dancing._" She made a face to express her utter distaste towards this idea.

Jasper chuckled. "Bella, it's just a dance. It's nothing to get into a tizzy about."

"Wrong," she stated firmly, throwing the last of her wash in before closing the top loudly and with quite the dramatic flourish. "I have reasons why I should get into a tizzy. I suck at dancing, Jasper. And going to social functions where there are tons of people and I'm bound to embarrass myself is not on the top of my priority list. I simply don't do dances. _At all_. Okay?"

Stepping away from the wall, Jasper reached out and claimed her wrist with his hand, using it to pull her gently against his chest. Lowering his head, he grazed his lips tantalizingly against hers, causing her head to spin. She leaned closer and kissed him back, placing her hand over his heart.

When the kiss ended, he kept his head close to hers and gazed deeply into her eyes before murmuring reassuringly, "I promise I'll be by your side the entire time. If anyone laughs at you for whatever reason they'll have to answer to me."

Bella smiled and murmured, "That's sweet Jasper, but…I don't even like wearing dresses."

Jasper's amber eyes sparkled. "I bet you look amazing in them."

Bella rolled her eyes. "That's not the point. I just feel…awkward wearing them." She diverted her gaze to the ground and bit down softly on her lip.

"Bella, you're not awkward," Jasper told her and then added in a low sultry drawl, "You're beautiful."

She tilted her head to the side and remarked, "You're going to make me go to the dance, aren't you?"

Jasper smirked, "You bet."

Bella groaned, "And if I refuse?"

He raised an eyebrow and said slyly, "Well, then I guess I'll just have to take Jessica."

Bella gasped and exclaimed, "You wouldn't dare!"

"I don't know," he stated slowly, "would I?"

"I'm beginning to think you're merely trying to annoy me," Bella muttered mainly to herself before lifting her head and asking curiously, "Why do you want to go to this dance anyway?"

"Because it'll be fun…and because I'd like to show you off."

"Jasper, be serious," Bella warned.

"I'm perfectly serious, Bella. Now it's time for _you _to be serious with _me_," Jasper replied, his golden amber eyes boring into hers.

Bella's eyes widened and she stared at him. _Did he just say what I thought he said? _She was absolutely stunned and it clearly showed. "Um, Jasper…" she trailed off, looking puzzled. She honestly didn't know how to respond to that. How did she even feel? She didn't know and she wasn't sure if she was ready to find out quite yet.

"You know how I feel about you, Bella," Jasper urged, taking her hand. "Don't make me beg. Just come to the dance with me…I promise to show you a good time."

_And what will it mean to you if I did? _Bella thought, staring questionably into his warm, yearning gaze. _It's just a dance, _she decided, _it won't mean anything._

"Okay," Bella said at last, sighing as she glanced up at Jasper, "I'll go to the stupid dance."

Jasper grinned and enveloped her in a hug. "You won't regret it," he murmured. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out of the house, whistling a tune.

* * *

It was official. She had absolutely _no__thing _to wear.

_Damn you, Jasper, _Bella thought irritably, tossing a red sundress over her shoulder. There was only two days left until the night of the dance and she had _nothing. _The nearest mall was literally an hour and a half away. She was _not _going to drive that far for a silly little dress. There had to be something else she could do…

And then suddenly an idea came to her.

_Angela!_

She seemed like the kind of girl who would own more than one dress. And plus, they were about the same size. She'd ask Jessica, of course, but Bella didn't want to risk getting into a conversation about Jasper. How awkward would _that _be? She knew that if she started talking about Jasper she'd let it slip that she was going to the dance with him. Bella could only imagine the appalled look on Jessica's face the second she found out.

Bella may not be a fan of dancing but she despised confrontations most of all.

_Oh Jasper, the things you make me do. _

Bella lied down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about none other than the handsome cowboy who spun her world around on a daily basis. The man was straight out infuriating. Charming, of course, but _infuriating_. She highly doubted that anybody else, a guy to be exact, would have been able to persuade her to go to this pathetic dance the way he had. So what made him so different? What made him so…phenomenal?

Yes, phenomenal. _That _would be the word to describe him. Not magnificent, not charming, but phenomenal. Bella's heart started to race and a broad smile appeared on her face. She rested both hands on her stomach and began to laugh – a rich, booming laugh, one that seemed like it could be heard from a ten mile radius. It was the most exhilarating feeling Bella had felt in a very long time.

And then it hit her, like a bolt of lightning.

She shot up in bed, all laughter gone from her system. The skin on her face became strangely pale and for the longest moment she stared straight ahead, scarcely breathing.

It was then that she knew and oh, oh how she knew.

She realized what this was - what she was now in. She had only experienced it once but hell once was enough, because really it only takes one time to understand what an utterly deep mess you were in.

It was rather obvious now that she thought about it. Terribly, painfully obvious.

_She was in love with Jasper Hale._

Bella closed her eyes and allowed a single explicit curse to escape her lips.

"_Fuck_."

* * *

_I look like a freaking turnip._

Bella stared at herself in the mirror, not particularly liking what she saw. It wasn't that she didn't like the dress…she did, really. It was more the fact that she was _in _the dress that caused her to cringe inwardly at her reflection.

She had on a strapless dark red dress that swept past her ankles and onto the floor. It was sleek and absolutely stunning, and it fit her just right. Around her waist was a black ribbon tied in a small bow behind her back. Her long brown hair was down and framing her face, which was touched with just the right amount of make-up. Bella tilted her head to the side and sighed.

Angela walked in the room and gasped when she saw Bella.

"Oh, my God! Bella, you look _amazing._"

Bella flicked a glance over her shoulder and smiled at her. "You think so?"

"Of course I do! You look like a total princess. I _knew _you'd look fabulous in that dress."

"I don't know," Bella said skeptically, turning away from the mirror to stare uncertainly at her friend. "Is it too much?"

"No way," Angela replied, shaking her head. "It's perfect, don't worry. Your date is going to flip a shit."

Bella turned her head away, her cheeks flushing with color.

Angela noticed and immediately raised an eyebrow. "Who _is _your date?" she questioned, her brown eyes sparkling curiously behind her dark rimmed glasses.

"Um…" Bella trailed off hesitantly, not sure whether or not she should spill the beans. Even though Angela was a friend of Jessica's Bella doubted that Angela was the kind of person who would rat her out. Besides, it was the night of the dance; Jessica was bound to find out eventually. Eventually, being tonight.

"I'm going with Jasper Hale," Bella said at last, glancing up at Angela with a slight smile.

Angela stared at her in amazement. "Oh…wow. Seriously? He asked you?"

"Well, we've sort of been talking for a while," Bella explained, smoothing her dress out nervously. "He works at my Dad's ranch."

"Are you guys dating?" Angela asked her expression one of surprise.

"Oh, no, definitely not," Bella stated quickly, her cheeks turning redder by the second. "I'm not really interested in dating anyone at the moment."

"Why not?" Angela probed.

_What's with the twenty questions? _Bella thought, becoming a tad bit annoyed. Shrugging, she turned away and gazed thoughtfully at her reflection.

"I don't really plan on hanging around…you know, after graduation," Bella murmured, biting down gently on her lip. "I mean, what's the point of committing to a relationship when I plan on leaving?"

"I get your point," Angela remarked, nodding slowly. "But that's kind of sad, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, needless to say you're putting your life on hold for an entire year. A lot can happen in a year…you know? And I mean, I understand that this isn't where you want to live permanently, but it's where you live _now. _You should try and make the most of what you have today rather than waste it while waiting for something better. Who knows, maybe you'll change your mind. Plans can change…and like I said a lot can happen in a year."

Bella blinked, thinking about what Angela had said. She was right, plans _did _change, but Bella had a feeling hers wasn't going to any time soon. Cody, Wyoming simply wasn't the place where she had always imagined herself to be in the long run. She was a city girl at heart, not some small town country girl. She didn't _want _this life.

But would that mean having to give up Jasper?

_Yes, _a voice in the back of her mind whispered and she began to feel tears form in the back of her eyes at the mere thought of leaving Jasper behind.

"Bella?"

Immediately snapping out of her thoughts, Bella glanced back over at Angela.

"Are you…crying?" Angela asked, her tone marked with concern.

"No, of course not," Bella said as firmly as possible, giving off a little laugh in an attempt to reassure her friend. Instead it gave the opposite effect for she sounded anxious and panicked.

"I should probably go," she hurriedly added, picking up her coat from Angela's bed and quickly slipping it on. "Thank you so much for letting me borrow the dress, I promise to return it to you tomorrow," Bella said, flashing Angela a grateful smile. She turned and grabbed her bag from Angela's desk chair, swinging it over her shoulder.

"Uh, no problem," Angela replied, confused by Bella's flustered behavior. "Glad I could help."

"I'll see you tonight at the dance!" Bella called with a parting wave.

She left Angela's place quickly, her troubling thoughts trapping her like an inescapable plague.

* * *

Two hours passed – it was seven o'clock. Bella paced back and forth in her bedroom, all dressed and ready for the dance. She stopped in front of her window and gazed down at the pretty green pastures, smiling when she caught sight of Lucky frolicking gleefully next to Sweet Thing who was grazing and couldn't care less. As she continued to watch them Bella began to calm down, although the nerves were still there, dancing plainly right underneath the surface.

Jumping slightly at the sound of the door bell ringing Bella whirled around, her heart racing unsteadily inside her chest. _Oh God, he's here. _Closing her eyes, she told herself to breathe. _It's just Jasper. Calm down. It's only Jasper…_

After about a minute Bella finally got a hold on herself and headed towards the door. The moment she opened it she heard Charlie's voice from down below.

"Hey Jasper, don't you look all nice and dandy. Going somewhere special?"

"Yes, sir. I'm taking Bella to the dance," Jasper said politely.

"Well, isn't that somethin'. You two a couple?"

Bella felt her cheeks flare up as she waited anxiously for Jasper to respond. _Damn it, Charlie, you just had to ask him that. Now what's he going to say?_

Her mouth immediately fell open in shock as she heard what Jasper said next.

"Not yet, sir. But I'm tryin' my best to rope her in."

Bella heard Charlie chuckle in return. "Is that so? Well, you have my blessing."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now don't you go breakin' her heart…she's been through enough," Charlie added warningly.

"In all honesty sir, I think it's my own heart that might be at risk. I've never met anyone quite like her."

"Yep, that's my Bella…hmm, I wonder what's taking her so long."

Straightening up at the sound of Charlie's approaching footsteps, Bella closed her bedroom door and quickly headed towards the stairs.

She called down, "I'm coming!"

Bella started clumsily down the steps with one hand lifting her dress and the other touching the wall to maintain her balance, mentally cursing her high heels the whole way down. With only two steps left to go Bella lifted her head to meet Jasper's waiting gaze. The moment their eyes met her heart stopped its ridiculous pounding and her entire world froze in its place.

_Oh my, _Bella thought. Never in all the time she had known Jasper had she ever imagined him wearing a black tux, and yet here he was wearing one. And not only that, but he was rockin' it like no other. Did he always look so dashingly handsome or was it simply the way he was staring at her? Well, whatever the case Bella's blood pressure had begun to rise and her heart resumed its furious pounding.

"Hello," Bella said faintly, taking a step down. Suddenly the bottom of her dress got caught underneath one of her heels and she stumbled forward, beginning her inevitable descent towards the ground.

Jasper was there to catch her, his strong, unfailing arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her back up onto her feet. "You all right, darlin'?" he questioned softly, brushing a strand of her hair away from her eyes.

Bella glanced up at him, amazed by his unyielding gentleness. "I'm…I'm fine," she stammered and pushed herself out of his hold. "Thank you."

"Any time," Jasper answered with a charming grin. "You ready to go?"

Bella nodded, "Yeah. Let's go."

Once she had put on her coat the two said good-bye to Charlie before heading out the door. Bella gritted her teeth as the cold blasting wind whipped against her face, reminding her of one of the many reasons why this wasn't the ideal place for her. She couldn't wait to bask in warmer weather.

Bella smiled when Jasper held the door out for her like a gentleman. She slipped inside his truck and waited for him to walk over to the driver's side. Once they were both in and the truck had started she glanced over at the dressed up cowboy and teased, "Wow, don't you look all handsome."

Jasper chuckled as he backed the truck up and turned it towards the street, "Why, thank you, Bella."

After a short moment Bella frowned and murmured softly, "Aren't you going to tell me how beautiful I look or should I just assume you think so?"

Before pulling the truck onto the road Jasper stopped and turned to look at her, his deep amber gaze piercing through her soul with an intense, burning fondness.

"Bella, you're beautiful every time I lay my eyes on you. You being all dressed up doesn't make any difference to me because _every day _your beauty is undeniably present no matter what you wear. If I say you look beautiful now I might as well tell you that every time I see you, at every moment. And when you smile, because that's when your beauty shines the most."

Bella was stunned. So stunned in fact that all she could do was simply stare at him.

Jasper turned back to the wheel and started driving down the road, clearly not asking for a response. Bella decided to not give him one and instead glanced out the window into the night sky, silently studying the stars.

The silence that filled the space between them was easy and comfortable and it remained so the entire way to Cody High.

* * *

**Thank you everyone for all your kind reviews! I appreciate every single one. :)**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**~LWS**


	14. Life Can't Be Planned

**A/N: Updating early this time because I didn't want you guys to have to wait. And because I like to procrastinate on my school work. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

_"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." _

**J.K. Rowling**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

"Jasper, I'm going to fall."

"No, you won't. I have you."

"These shoes are killing me."

"Then why did you wear them?"

"They match the dress, I _had _to wear them."

Jasper chuckled softly as he led Bella towards the entrance of the gym where the dance was being held. He felt her wobble slightly against him and immediately gripped her arm more firmly with his own.

"Remember, it's just a dance," he reminded her, glancing over at Bella with a gentle, reassuring smile. "It'll be over in just a couple hours."

"I wish it was over _now_," Bella mumbled under her breath, watching as a group of their fellow classmates filed into the gym, giggling obnoxiously.

"Bella, can't you at least smile? You look like you're about to attend a funeral," Jasper said, raising an eyebrow.

Bella sighed and faced him, turning the corners of her lips up into what she assumed was a wide grin but what actually appeared to be a pained grimace.

Jasper frowned and said, "Never mind. Don't smile."

As they walked into the gym Bella glanced around in surprise. The school's dance committee really outdid themselves it seemed; colorful streamers hung from the ceiling and countless of balloons floated in the air. A huge refreshment table was off to the side on the right and at the other end of the gym Bella could vaguely see a DJ bobbing his head to the pop music that blared for all ears to hear. There was no lighting except for the silver disco ball that was mounted high above everybody's heads, spinning slowly as it reflected beams of light through the entire gym.

The dance had started just ten minutes before and already the small gym was uncomfortably packed. Bella narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to not give a hiss of annoyance when a girl pushed past her and stepped right on her toes.

_You can get through this, Bella. You can, _she assured herself.

"All right, we're here. Now what?" she asked Jasper, turning to look at him.

"Would you like to dance?"

"Not really," Bella said honestly.

Jasper gave her a look and in turn Bella sighed and said, "Fine. Let's go."

"Whoa, settle down Bella. Your enthusiasm is too much," Jasper joked. He took her hand and began to lead her out onto the dance floor.

Bella rolled her eyes at him, brushing past a couple who apparently believed making out in public was much more fun than dancing. _Gross, _Bella thought and glanced quickly away.

Once they had found a spot in the middle of the dance floor the song ended and another one began to play, this one much slower than the last. It was a country song much to Bella's dismay, but what led her to inwardly panic were the words that filled her ears and vividly struck her heart.

_Every time our eyes meet_

_This feeling inside me_

_Is almost more than I can take_

As Jasper rested his hand on her hip and pulled her closer Bella felt her heart start to pound hard against her chest. _It's only a song, _Bella thought, placing her hands on Jasper's shoulders. She met his eyes with a small, tight smile. _Just a stupid song…it doesn't mean anything._

Slowly they began to dance.

_I've never been this close to anyone, or anything_

_I can hear you thoughts, I can see your dreams…_

Jasper stared intently at her, his smile beginning to fade. The way he was looking at her caused her breath to hitch in her throat. Her cheeks flushed wildly with color.

Bella glanced away from his face, trying to ignore the song and simply focus on not stepping on his feet.

All of which came to no avail.

_I don't know how you do what you do_

_I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better_

_I wanna spend the rest of my life with you by my side_

_Forever and ever_

Bella felt her stomach erupt with butterflies. She closed her eyes and attempted to calm her racing heartbeat but the longer the song played the more her heart throbbed.

Halfway through the song Jasper murmured softly, "Bella?"

Bella opened her eyes and gazed at him, clearly in a daze. "Yes?" she breathed.

"There's something that I've been meaning to tell you…for a while, actually," Jasper began.

_Your hair all around me_

_Baby, you surround me_

_You touch every place in my heart_

And all of a sudden Bella knew exactly what he was about to tell her. Immediately breaking free from her stupor, Bella stopped dancing and pulled away from him, her mind overflowing with all kinds of crazy, unfathomable emotions; none of which comforted her in the very least.

"I-I have to go…to the bathroom," Bella stammered, looking rather stricken as she proceeded to move further away from him.

Jasper gazed after her in confusion but Bella didn't dare stick around. Pushing her way quickly through the crowd, she didn't realize someone was trying to get her attention until a hand unexpectedly clamped down on her shoulder.

"Bella! There you are."

It was Angela.

Bella glanced over at her and said impatiently, "I'm sorry but I can't really talk right now."

Angela nodded and said, "All right, but I just wanted to let you know that Jessica saw you and Jasper together. She's totally freaking out. I'm thinking you should probably avoid her for now…"

"Thanks for the warning," Bella replied carelessly before turning back around and heading out of the gym.

Once she was finally free from all the noise and mass of people Bella breathed in a deep sigh of relief. She had only been in there for about ten minutes but to her it had felt like an hour. Shaking her head she began walking down the hall, wincing as pain shot through her feet.

"That's it. I'm taking off these damn shoes."

Bending down, Bella slipped her shoes off one by one. Her eyelids lowered in pleasure the second her feet were bare.

_How some girls wear high heels all day long I will never understand…I can't even last half an hour in them. Ridiculous._

The floor felt nice and cool under her feet as she continued to tread down the hall. Her thoughts soon trailed to Jasper and she bit down hard on her bottom lip, instantly piercing the skin. A spot of blood trickled down but she hardly noticed.

She knew Jasper loved her. He revealed it every time he stared into her eyes and particularly whenever he touched her. It was so painstakingly obvious to her but at the same time she didn't want to believe it. Her head wanted her to deny it but there was no way she could…not when her heart so clearly demanded her to face the truth.

When she first moved here she had vowed to not get close to anyone. Building an intimate relationship would only make it harder for her when it was time to leave, so why bring more pain and suffering into her life when she could so easily prevent it instead?

But the fact of the matter was – it _hadn't _been easy.

It had been hard as hell.

And now she was in love and the man whom she had fallen in love with undoubtedly loved her back.

Tears filled her eyes and with a loud sob Bella leaned against the wall, falling slowly to the floor. She crumpled over and wrapped her arms around her knees, curling her body into a tight ball.

_I don't want this! _Bella thought in the midst of all her tears, _I don't fucking want this._

But she wanted Jasper.

She wanted him more than she had ever wanted _anyone_ else.

But she wanted her dream too. She wanted it more than _anything _else.

Why the hell did she have to choose?

* * *

About ten minutes passed and Bella hadn't moved. She heard footsteps coming down the hallway but didn't care to lift her head. When the sound continued to get closer she knew who it was even before he sat down next to her and spoke.

"Bella?"

She didn't lift her head right away, because she was afraid.

She was afraid that he would catch one glimpse of her face and distinguish every inadequate thought. Every paralyzing fear…

But that was impossible, right?

Bella slowly lifted her head and glanced carefully at his face. He was staring at her with a mix of concern, puzzlement, and frustration. But underneath all of that was the subtle gentleness that he always seemed to possess. It was one of the many things she had come to love about him.

"Please don't say it," Bella whispered, gazing pleadingly into his brilliant honey-hued eyes.

"Why not, Bella?" he murmured.

Her eyes pierced straight through his as she replied, "Because it'll change everything."

"Bella, things have already changed. My life changed the moment you walked into my life. It changed when we first kissed. It changed when I saw you smile, _really _smile, for the first time since your mother's death. And it changed most of all when I realized you're the only person who I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Bella smiled, a stream of tears trickling down her face. "Oh, Jasper…you don't know how much that means to me."

"Then show me," Jasper said urgently, taking her hand and kissing it softly. "_Be _with me, Bella."

"I…I don't know if I can," Bella whispered, gazing at him with wide, pain-filled eyes.

"Why?" Jasper demanded.

"Because this wasn't the _plan. _I didn't ask for this. All I wanted was this one year to get over my mom's death and then leave this place…I didn't want to get stuck here. But then of course you had to come along and ruin everything…."

"Bella," Jasper murmured, "life can't be planned. No matter what you do some things will happen that you'll never expect. I never expected to fall in love with you, but you know what? I'm damned happy I did."

Bella shook her head. "You don't understand. I don't want to stay here…and I can't ask you to come with me. This is your home…you love this place. I could never ask you to leave."

"Let's not worry about that now," Jasper said softly, "Right now I just want to be with you."

Jasper stood up and pulled Bella to her feet. Before she knew what was happening he had her in his arms and was kissing her lovingly. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him back with a blazing passion, letting go of every fear, every doubt. It was only here in his arms that she allowed them to all disappear.

After a long moment Jasper broke away and cupped her cheek gently with his hand. "Let's go home. We're obviously not having any fun here."

Bella nodded and went over to pick up her shoes. "I'm never wearing these again," she announced, staring down at them in disgust.

Jasper chuckled and wrapped one of his arms around her waist as they headed out. "I think I prefer you in boots, anyway."

Bella laughed softly before she glanced over at him and said, "Hey, Jasper?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Do me a favor."

"Anything."

She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Don't ever change."

Jasper chuckled again and murmured warmly in her ear, "For you, darlin', I wouldn't dare."

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully you guys aren't too disappointed that there wasn't a butt load of drama, but I wanted to concentrate more on Bella and Jasper's relationship in this chapter. Also, this is where I left off last time so the two final chapters (plus the epilogue) are going to be new to everyone. Woohoo! Unfortunately, I probably won't update again until the end of the week. I have a major paper to write and other assignments I've been putting off that I need to do, so...till next time! Reviews make me smile. And like Buddy the Elf, smiling is my favorite :)  
**


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